Evil's Light
by DuchessRaven
Summary: FINISHED!1 year after 02, Myotismon is reconfigured. He wonders the real world with no memory save for an ominous mission and the image of a beautiful brown haired girl. MyoKari
1. The Awakening

AUTHOR'S NOTE: don't own digimon, blah blah blah. I have three weeks off from school and wanna finish this before going back. College is so hard. :( please review plenty and I'll write as fast as I can. I REALLY REALLY like Myo and Kari together so I am considering reposting my story King of Darkness, Queen of Light as a sequel to Reborn (for those of you who know what I'm talking about). So yeah i donno. Enjoy.  
  
EVIL'S LIGHT  
  
Ch.1 Awakening  
  
When the clanking sound forced him to open his eyes, he wasn't certain where he was, or even the time. Every nerve on his body seemed piercingly sensitive to the cold winter embracing him. Assuming it was winter, and he was outside, of course, since it was dark, and he couldn't see very well.  
  
Scratch that.  
  
He COULD see. In fact, he could see everything. Tilting his head slowly from one side to the other, he saw the dank alley, completely dark from the starless night save for the occasional headlight of the passing cars. The ground was littered with garbage and sewage water welled up in the corners, providing a comfortable home for baby mosquitoes. Pressed against his right side was a dumpster that stank like old death. He could see the traces of slime and dirt on its side.  
  
The clanking sound came again but he was yet to identify its source.  
  
Running one hand down his body he discovered the reason he was so cold. There was not a single garment covering his bare skin. He was naked, sitting in the filth of the alley, and when he searched his mind for a reason, he only gave him a blank. He also didn't know that the temperature was well below freezing and an ordinary person should have been long dead or numb.  
  
Clank, clank...  
  
Carefully, he stood, leaning his back against what felt like a brick wall, and wasn't sure of what to do next. His eyesight seemed to be improving, or perhaps merely recovering, as he raised his hands to their level.  
  
A car passed, sending a brief wave of pale light over his skin and although he wasn't sure what he was supposed to look like, its coloring seemed strange to him. It appeared to be a soft shade of blue and his fingers were long and slender. He ran one of his hands over his head and felt his hair part from its touch, matted and dirty but surprisingly smooth. As he regained some feeling to his muscles, they felt strong, and capable.  
  
Assuming this was his body. And assuming this wasn't a dream.  
  
Or a nightmare.  
  
His sense of smell was becoming uncomfortably sensitive as the scents of the alley drifted by him. He smelled the rotting apple and meat in the dumpster, the bubbly sewage, the exhaust of the cars, and blood.  
  
His own blood. A hand went to his neck and felt a long scar extending from the base of his neck half way down his chest. Through the process of his (arrival?) it had been torn open and was in the process of re-knitting itself. It didn't hurt, but the traces of tried red substance along his torso told him that whatever had made the scar also made him bleed like a stuck pig.  
  
He could also smell something else-steel, and a human.  
  
The clanking was still there and suddenly seemed very loud. It was coming around the corner at the end of the alley. He was afraid, but he instinctively held his breath and stayed out of sight. The newcomer smelled like old burlap and sweat, despite the cold, and, not knowing how, he thought he could almost detect the faint fragrance of insanity.  
  
The light of another car brought to his sight a large shadow, a man judging from the stature. When the light passed he shadow was gone but it was enough for him to deduce the other's intentions. It was a hobo, a giant man coated in rags and desperation. He had been drinking, so much that the alcohol on his breath was intoxicating. His mind was buzzing with a billion thoughts, all of them red and angry. He had wondered the streets for too long, accompanied only by the rusty knife in his left hand and the liquor bottle in his right.  
  
As he watched, the hobo banged the bottle against the wall as he dragged himself along the alley walls. Part of him wanted to run, but something else in his head told him he needn't be afraid, because the other was  
  
Mortal?  
  
The hobo stopped a few yards away from him before he could decide what to do. A line of yellow teeth appeared as a grin split the man's face into two, almost to the ears. He took another swig from the bottle and wiped his mouth with the hand still gripping the knife.  
  
"Wha' we 'ave here?" he rumbled. Something caught in his throat. He coughed and spat. The sticky yellow substance clung to the nearest wall. "You in ma space?"  
  
Unsure of what to say, he kept silent.  
  
"Wel' then," another cough, this one convincing him that the man was seriously ill. "How's 'bout a little fun, eh?" He took another step forward as a red tongue extended and licked his lips. There was blood on his teeth, someone else's.  
  
He didn't move. He wasn't afraid and he wasn't sure why. Plus he wasn't sure what the other meant.  
  
The grin widened on the hobo as he made an obviously obscene gesture with his knife hand and started faster toward him, smacking his lips as if expecting a kiss. A meaty hand reached out, still holding the liquor bottle.  
  
Something took over, perhaps instinct, as one of hands shot out and seized the other and before the hobo could cry out, the blue hand squeezed and the bottleneck shattered. A large shard of glass went into the palm and emerged from the other side, between the space of two blue fingers. They stood there for a moment with out a sound, then the blue hand let go and the other began to scream.  
  
"You, you.... ahhhh!" the hobo gripped his hang, the piece of glass still protruding from the back of it, and launched a creative string of curses at him as the knife fell to the ground at his feet.  
  
He looked at his own hand. More blood, from the other this time. Seemed like they were simply pouring his way on this odd day. A twinge of excitement stirred and he brought the bloody palm to his lips and licked it as the hobo stared in shock.  
  
"Freak!" he shrieked. "You freak!" Trembling, the mad man bent and grabbed for his knife. With a single advance, he stepped onto the blade with his bare foot. The hobo gazed up at him, eyes wide with fear.  
  
The words seemed to come out on their own. "Don't look at me like that," he told the hobo in a chilling voice, "Unless you want me to punish you."  
  
For a moment it seemed the other might run, but then an angry fire lit and with a beastly growl, the man lung at him. Before he could even react, his body acted on its own. His heel flicked up and the knife landed in his hand. He sidestepped to prevent the dead body from falling on him, the blade deep in its chest.  
  
~*~  
  
A shiver came over her. Without looking, Kari reached over for her sweater, although it was quite warm inside her room. She wasn't quite sure why she was so cold all of a sudden, perhaps it was the flu going around.  
  
"Come in," she said as a knock came on her door, not looking up from her books. Tai strolled inside and leaned on the wall beside her desk. He gave her a curious look.  
  
"Since when are YOU cold?" he asked.  
  
"I get cold."  
  
"Please," he said with a smirk. "You haven't been cold in the past year. Last week you played in the snow wearing shorts."  
  
Kari shrugged. "I just wasn't cold."  
  
"Guess you're finally normal. I thought you were turning weird on me or something." Tai straightened up. "I just wanted to tell you Don's coming over later."  
  
She started and looked at him for the first time. "Don?"  
  
Her brother chuckled. "Man, you really do got it bad for him, don't you?" he joked. "He told me my little sister's got a thing for him, but then again, what girl doesn't?"  
  
An uneasy laugh escaped Kari. "I'd guess human."  
  
"Whatever, sis, don't be TOO disappointed when he shows up without kisses and roses. Later."  
  
She watched his close the door behind him and sighed. She WAS disappointed, not because of Don's lack of affection in her, but because OF his interest. Tai didn't know, her parents didn't know, and even Gatomon, who spent days with her and nights in the digital world and talked about everything with her, didn't know. Nobody did.  
  
Don was one of, if not the most popular boy in Tai's school. Even Matt came in second to him. He was everything-rich, handsome, talented, and charming in everyway. He never went out with a girl twice and few complained because they thought just a chance to be with him was a privilege. There was no girl he wanted and couldn't have.  
  
Except for her.  
  
Recently, Don came over more and more, gabbing with Tai about soccer and the occasional math problem. Her parents liked Don, said he was nice. But only she knew the real reason he came over.  
  
The first time he was here, she had been lying on her bed, her head dangling off the side and phone in one hand, talking to Yolie. She was alone. Gatomon wasn't there, and perhaps that was why it took her so long to notice him.  
  
He was standing outside her door, which was opened just a crack, looking at her. There was something in his chestnut-colored eyes she didn't like. Sitting up, she said good-bye to Yolie and turned to the door again, but he was already gone. She went through the rest of the evening thinking she had dreamed the whole thing.  
  
But then he came by more and more, and every time she passed him, he always managed to rub up against her ever so slightly, so matter how much space was between them. Whenever she thought about telling anyone this, she would hear them praise what a gentleman he was, and watch him toss his perfect honey brown hair and smile modestly.  
  
Maybe I'm just paranoid, she told herself. It's hard to be paranoid nowadays.  
  
A year had passed. Hard to believe it had been a year since they stood on even grounds with MaloMyotismon in the place between dreams and reality. She had expected things to change, for better or for worse, but somehow it didn't, at least not much. As time passed, the people began to forget, the way they forgot about the very first "terrorist" attack in Odeiba, and the battle led by the very first digidestined against the Dark Masters. As a little more time passed, she turned fourteen and started eighth grade and everything seemed normal.  
  
It was getting hot again and she took off her sweater and threw it onto the floor. Yes, little has changed, but that did not mean nothing had. This was another secret she kept to herself, mainly because she needed to find out its purpose first.  
  
The heat on her body was making her squirm uncomfortably. She had already convinced herself that she was too young to have hot flashes so it had to be something else. She stood up, stretched, and opened the shades handing over the window. The night was lit with festivities of Christmas. Red and green lights twinkled in the streets like candles on a birthday cake.  
  
Looking behind her to make sure there was no one there, she opened the window and let the cold breeze inside. It felt good on her burning skin. Suddenly feeling bold, she gripped the bottom of her shirt, checked on last time to make sure she was alone, and pulled it off. She closed her eyes and for the first time in a while did not wonder why she was so hot, and simply enjoyed the cold.  
  
Finally, after not knowing how long, she felt her body temperature returning to normal. Looking out the window one last time, she raised her hands to close the shades.  
  
And stopped.  
  
In the window, she could see her own reflection, naked from the waist up save for her bra. The light in the room shun behind her, causing every item in the room to be reflected onto the glass. Including the slight gap of the door.  
  
A pair of brown eyes were peering in. The figure was leaning against the doorframe, not even trying to conceal himself from her. He was watching her. Lips moved without sounds, forming the words, "hi, Kari."  
  
The hair on the back of her neck stood up as she forced herself to draw the blinds close and put her shirt back on. It was a struggle with her hands shaking as they did. She could feel the eyes probing her body, enjoying her movement and unease. She felt like a trapped bird. But when she turned around, he was already gone, and the hall was filled with the laughter of Tai, as if he had been talking to his friend all along.  
  
It's not a dream, she thought to herself.  
  
~*~  
  
He stripped the hobo of his cloth and dressed himself. It was a loose fit since he was slimmer than its last owner, but at least the length was all right. The knife was still jutting out of the man's chest. He pulled it out and pocketed it. In a daze, he dumped the body into the dumpster and wondered how he had come to do what he did.  
  
Instinct, perhaps.  
  
But whose instinct?  
  
He was feeling stronger now, and more alert, but he had no idea what to do with himself. Pulling the ragged coat over himself, he ventured out of the alley and into the streets.  
  
There was little traffic going about this particular street, but about a mile down it led to lights and noise. He smelled people, a lot of them, and sensed their business and excitement. Hesitantly, he went down the street toward the bright lights and emerged in a brightly lit square. A million pairs of feet passed by, few took notice of him although several did eye him suspiciously and move on. No faces looked familiar, not that it mattered.  
  
He strolled along the line of bustling stores toward and intersection. There, he found two street signs. One did not ring a bell. But the other made him twinge.  
  
Odeiba.  
  
Thin air.  
  
Suddenly, he looked around himself and realized he was miles above the city. All the lights were shining beneath him, out of reach. He was floating in space with nothing but darkness supporting him. Before him, not far away, was a building with shining windows. He started to wonder if this was real when something caught his attention.  
  
Despite the cold, the window directly in front of him was open. Standing there before the glass was a thin figure. Somehow, he willed himself to move a little closer and saw that it was a young girl. She was looking down, her hands supporting her self on the windowsill, eyes closed and her lips curled in a soft smile as if lost in a dream. She was scantily clad but the cold did not seem to bother her. Short brown locks fell in front of her delicate face and onto her smooth shoulders.  
  
He moved closer. Actually, it felt more like the building was moving toward him, until he was separated from the girl only by a pane of glass. He could see her chest more up and down rhythmically, and the silkiness of her skin. She didn't move for a long time, just standing there letting the cold wash over her. He could feel heat radiating from her every pore across the glass.  
  
And then he saw the one behind her. It took no particular form, but it was danger, and it war near. The young goddess took no notice, however. She still stood and breathed, in and out, in and out.  
  
Without thinking, he reached for her and watched his hand shatter the glass as if it was made of sugar and land on the girl's shoulder. The moment they touched, she looked up and he found himself falling, getting lost in her brown eyes for a long second. Then the light poured out, so much light poured out of her eyes that he drew back and felt the world collapse...  
  
And it did.  
  
Until a man dressed in an odd uniform tapped him on the shoulder, he did not realize he had been staring at the sign for a long time. "Move along, pal," the man said curtly. "You're making people nervous." He took a closer look. "Geez, pal, what kind of brawl were you in?"  
  
He merely shrugged.  
  
"Why don't you come with me?" the uniformed man reach for his arm. "I think some people down at the station will be interested."  
  
The hobo's blood must still be on his cloth. His lips drew back as he gave the cop a thin smile. The other suddenly drew back in fear. Taking this opportunity, he slipped away quickly as the man stood there stunned.  
  
He made sure to be well out of sight when he made sure what had frightened the man so bad. With one finger, he felt along the inside of his mouth and discovered two pointed canines sticking out farther than his other teeth.  
  
No, not canines. Fangs.  
  
So I am a freak, he thought. Good for me.  
  
The streets still bustled but he took no notice. Even the billions of foreign objects and smells no longer held his attention. His fangs poked at his lip every once in a while but after some time he ceased to notice. The scar on his neck itched by scratching them would only lead to more bleeding so he tried his best to ignore it.  
  
He only thought about the child goddess with brown hair.  
  
And the light pouring from deep within her soul.  
  
~*~  
  
Unknown and forgotten save for by a few, the Dark Ocean droned on.  
  
Its dullness was only matched by the darkness of it inhabitants. But then again, inhabitants refer to those who live. The creatures that dwelled here hover between life and death, and liked it that way. Even though, it gets boring and soon they crave more.  
  
Since his banishment from both the real and digital world, Daemon had labored endlessly for a way to return. His power was far from inadequate, and there exist uncountable channels out of the dark dimension. It had seemed impossible not to escape, until his first attempt, several months ago.  
  
He had it all planned out. His corps was prepped and ready. The portal had opened up to its full capacity and he was about to make his reentrance into the real world.  
  
Then the lights came. It came flooding through the tunnel, destroying every particle of the portal and seared him and his henchmen so severely that it was weeks before they were able to attempt again, only to be greeted by the same fate.  
  
There was a time when he had thought it merely a myth, but now the truth was hard to avoid. She had been there when that boy emperor sealed him away and the moment it was done, her power, no longer limited by the presence of their darkness, began to grow. As the days wore on, her energy had formed a tight shield around the darkness, keeping it contained, secluded.  
  
The dreaded little angle of light.  
  
A woman hovered behind him as he meditated. If she were human, she would be beautiful, but she was not and would never want to be. Her beauty was merely a shell holding the evil she loved so much inside.  
  
"Has it been done?"  
  
She bowed. "Yes, my lord."  
  
"Good," Daemon said, his voice dark and ominous. "Myotismon may be an annoyance at times, but now he is proving to be quite useful."  
  
"You are certain he will eliminate the source of light, my lord?"  
  
Daemon smirked under his hood. "You forget, Ladydevimon, that she is not yet fully developed and has not learned to wield her powers just yet. Myotismon will do his job and do it well. His own creation will make sure of it."  
  
"The spores."  
  
"What else?"  
  
Their cruel laughter could have filled the entire world, but there are no echoes in the kingdom ruled by the dark ocean.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED... 


	2. Save Me

Ch.2 Save Me  
  
He wondered the streets in the darkness, away from the crowds. Their stares and suspicious whispered were starting to annoy him and all the lights began to hurt his eyes after a while. Stealthily, almost cat-like, he slipped from one dark corner to another, hardly seen and unheard save by the occasional scampering rats.  
  
His feet took him in a general direction, although he wasn't sure what that was. As midnight passed, he found himself quite far from the brightly lit town center and heading toward the suburbs. Twice during the trip, the scar on his neck burned with unbearable pain and then ceased just as quickly as it started. It felt as if something was forcing him along, telling him to reach a particular goal and fast.  
  
He stopped at an intersection and found he had no way of knowing which was the right way, if there even was a right way. The scar pulsated with a dull ache in his flesh. Frustrated, he placed one hand over it in an attempt to sooth it.  
  
Instantly, the moment his fingers touched the ragged skin, the world seemed to spin. Slightly afraid but not entirely surprised, he watched the streets melt away like a soggy painting. Behind everything, was darkness.  
  
In the middle of the endless black, stood a single figure. He didn't have to guess to know who this was. She was so thin, so small, and radiated such a sense of power. This time she was dressed in a pink outfit with matching gloves. There was a blank expression on her face as she looked in his direction. Not at him, but right through him.  
  
He watched, mesmerized, as she raised one arm slowly, gracefully as if performing a humble dance, and touched the darkness beside her. When she lifted her hand, a white, glowing handprint was left, as if a hole had been torn in the black space. She was still looking at him.  
  
Through him.  
  
Slowly, also gracefully, she lifted both arms and spun in a slow circle like a ballerina. Waves of light emerged from her and rippled like the surface of a clear lake. Wherever it went, the darkness ceased to exist. The brightness flowed toward him, inch by inch, almost touching him.  
  
But stopped.  
  
It stopped a hair's space away from him and he found himself still totally wrapped in darkness. The little goddess stopped and looked at him again. A slightly confused expression overcame her pretty face as she began to come close to him, and reach out with her slender fingers. He didn't move as she touched his face.  
  
With a start she backed away from him, not moving was floating away. Suddenly, he could feel pain in her, as clearly as he felt his own, seeping slowly from the scar on his neck.  
  
With both hands he reached for her  
  
And found himself kneeing on the cold concrete of the street, hands reaching out into the silent night.  
  
Slowly, he stood up and felt the ache recede on his neck. He looked at the three streets in front of him, and headed to the left.  
  
~*~  
  
When she woke she drew air into her lungs so hard and rapidly that it was a miracle it didn't burst. The air was so hot and heavy that for a moment she didn't think she would be able to breath ever again. With black spots jumping around before her eyes, she forced herself to gasp and breath, desperate to prove that she still could.  
  
Her door was locked, one reason was because she was sleeping in her underwear with no covers at all and still drenched in sweat. For a few minutes she laid there staring at the ceiling and feeling wetness slide down her cheek, unsure if it was sweat or tears.  
  
What's happening to me?  
  
The other reason she began to keep the door locked was because of the soft glow coming from her skin. This had happened before, long ago, on her first journey to the digital world. But back then it hadn't lasted and no one ever thought it would occur again. Yet, a few weeks ago it had come back, and although she tried hard to convince herself it was her imagination, the light seemed to be getting stronger.  
  
But tonight, the light had become the least of her worries.  
  
Long ago, not long after receiving her crest, she had nightmares. In these dreaded dreams, she saw light, beautiful light that lit everything, everything. But there was always one spot that couldn't be lit, a smudge in the happy world. And the darkness from that one spot would soon begin spread, until it covered every inch of light, including her. And she couldn't run, or hide.  
  
She had forgotten about that dream. Well, almost. Tonight, it had returned, and the darkness felt so cold and familiar and it was so close by.  
  
I think I'm going to lose my mind, she told herself as the soft light of dawn began to crawl through the curtains and her own light subsided at last.  
  
~*~  
  
Gatomon emerged from the digital world just in time to see Kari sitting stiffly in front of her mirror. Confused, the cat digimon looked at the alarm clock on the desk and found it to be 6 a.m., too early for anyone in the house to be awake. And yet, there she was, in her rumpled pajama pants, looking at herself in the mirror without moving a muscle.  
  
With a single leap, Gatomon landed next to the dresser. Kari didn't seem to notice. The listless expression on her face was starting to make Gatomon's fur stand up.  
  
"Kari?"  
  
No response.  
  
"Kari?" she called a little louder. "Kari, what's wrong?"  
  
After a long moment, Kari looked down and smiled. Suddenly, it seemed as if nothing was different. "Woke up a little early, that's all."  
  
Gatomon gave her a suspicious look.  
  
"Really," Kari said, trying her best to conceal the quiver in her voice. "I'm fine."  
  
The white cat cocked her head to one side. "Then why aren't you dressed?"  
  
"I will. I'm just... tired." Her eyes shifted back to the mirror. "Why don't you go help yourself from the fridge?"  
  
Normally, she would have jumped at the chance. But this time, she hesitated.  
  
"Go on."  
  
Uncertain, Gatomon made herself way toward the door. Just before exiting the room, she turned back and cast one last gaze at Kari. Her friend was sitting there again, unmoving like a statue, looking at herself but not seeing. It was as if she was trying to break some kind of barrier, into another world.  
  
"Go already," the girl said without looking at her, "don't look at me like that."  
  
Although it wasn't terribly cold, Gatomon shivered as she walked out. Instead of going for food, she paced in the hall, sneaking a peek into the room every now and then, only to see the same thing-Kari's frozen stature. She never made a move to get dressed, or stand up. It was as if she had been hit and stunned by lightning and paralyzed forever.  
  
Don't look at me like that...  
  
She had heard those words before, in a slightly different context but very similar. Someone else didn't like to be stared at, very much so.  
  
But there shouldn't be any connection, there can't be. He was dead, gone forever, and he's not coming back. He was only her nightmare now, and with time, that would fade, just like the terror he once spread.  
  
She knew why she shivered, because if he were ever to come back, she wouldn't be able to handle it. And Kari...  
  
Little did she know, Kari had more to lose than she could ever realize.  
  
~*~  
  
She didn't notice the hand laying on her shoulder until Yolie's voice cut into her mind. But even though it took several moments to realize she was been spoken to.  
  
"Kari? Hello!"  
  
She looked up toward the source of the voice and tried her best to look cheerful. "Hi, Yolie."  
  
"Oh, good. I thought you were zoning out on me." Tilting her glasses up in an excited gesture, the purple-haired girl seemed to be in the best of moods. Kari wished she could share some of that happiness. "Now come on, or you'll miss him!"  
  
Sitting at her desk, Kari tried her best to process what she had just been told and came up with nothing. She rubbed her eyes and yawned. "Huh? What are you talking about?"  
  
Yolie rolled her eyes and pulled Kari to her feet before any protests could be made. "I KNOW you're not tired enough to forget this!"  
  
Something in the back of her mind jerked her awake as she realized what she was supposed to remember. An uncomfortable lump formed in her throat as it came back to her. Half praying that it wasn't happening, she stammered, "You mean..."  
  
"Yes!" Yolie shrieked at an octave high enough to pierce eardrums. "He's coming today!"  
  
Kari moaned. "Right, right..."  
  
"Yeah, Donny's coming HERE!" still babbling, Yolie dragged Kari outside the classroom by the wrist. "Are we lucky or what?! Maybe Tai can get me a date with him! Let's go, let's go!" Reluctant but unable to think of any excuses, she complied.  
  
The air on the soccer field was breezy and the sun was just for a perfect day. But it all felt like a sauna to Kari. The sunlight burned her skin as she stood among a crowd of wide-eyed girls, all facing the field, where who else but Don stood, a picture of perfection as usual.  
  
Next to Don was Tai, looking cheery and in a good spirits, talking with a black-haired boy that Kari knew quite well-Ken Ichijouji. Normally, Ken was the center of attention for the female student population whenever he visited their school, but today, he was only coming in second to Don.  
  
"Wow, I can't believe he's actually gonna do a soccer demonstration HERE!" Yolie was saying. "Can you BELIEVE it? Oh, he's so dreamy!"  
  
"Yeah, he's okay," Kari responded absently. Ken looked at her and waved. She waved back stiffly, trying to keep from looking at Don.  
  
But it didn't do any good. The next thing she knew, he was walking toward her, and Yolie was jumping up and down and yanking on her sleeve. "Oh my gosh, look Kari look!"  
  
She didn't look up as he stopped in front of her. "Hi there, Kari."  
  
She avoided his hard gaze. "Hi."  
  
"Hi, I'm Yolie!" A wave of gratefulness overcame her as her friend wedged herself between her and Don. "I'm a friend of Tai's and I think you're SO SO cool! Can I shake your hand? You're so great at soccer and everyone thinks you're so cute are you free after the game? I know the best smoothie spot and..."  
  
Before losing herself in the crowd, Kari saw Don lean over and plant a tiny peck on Yolie's cheek. The girl's eyes opened wide with excitement and half the girls gathered on the field rushed to her and shouted congratulations. Good for her, Kari thought.  
  
Little did Yolie know, his kissed her to get her to shut up. Little did she know, he had his eyes on Kari the whole time.  
  
And no one heard Tai tell Ken that the younger boy was just been paranoid thinking Don gave him a bad feeling.  
  
~*~  
  
The light hurt his eyes and face but he kept walking. He was so close he could feel it despite the fact that he didn't know what he was close to. When noon rolled around he hid in an abandoned house and slept until the air began to cool again before pressing on again. As the sun begin to set, he began to feel hunger.  
  
He knew where to get food but that was not what he craved and needed. Something deep inside clamored for something that confused him. The sky darkened when he rested again in an alley formed by two apartment complexes.  
  
And waited.  
  
The dog didn't notice him as it strolled into the alley. Tail wagging, it sniffed curiously along the wall until an unfamiliar smell entered it nose. It moved forward a little more and came within eyesight of the tall slim shadow.  
  
"Here, puppy," a voice hissed. "Here, boy."  
  
The dog didn't move. The newcomer smelled odd, metallic.  
  
"Come on, you mangy mutt." Speaking those words felt odd but again, it was all instinct.  
  
It could have gotten away had the other been an ordinary human, but with lightning speed, the knife slashed into its shoulder. With a pitiful bark, it attempted to flee but was forced down onto its side on the ground.  
  
He sank his teeth into the dog's bloody wound and drank from it, savoring the hot liquid and holding the struggling body still with his hands. The fangs in his mouth seemed to extend as the blood further wetted his appetite. After a while, the dog stopped howling and began to whimper and shiver. Gripping its jaw, he prepared to break its neck.  
  
And stopped.  
  
The pitiful creature had stopped trying to escape and was moaning as he pulled his fangs out of its flesh. Uncertainly, he released the pressure exerted on the dog's hindquarters and watched it stagger to its feet. Without another sound, it dragged itself out of the alley as fast as it could manage.  
  
The slash on its shoulder wasn't deep and he had merely taken a few ounces of blood so it would live with no trouble. But why should he care?  
  
Perhaps for the same reasons he had let the dog live.  
  
Instinct had told him to kill, to devour without regret. Killing was in his veins, it told him. Death was nature and for him, it had become no more than a habit. It was who he was. It was what he did.  
  
But who was he?  
  
He was in someone's body, listening to someone's instinct. It disturbed him but before he could figure everything out, he had to follow one thread.  
  
The child goddess of light.  
  
Perhaps she held answers to all his questions.  
  
~*~  
  
Davis looked a little hurt when she pulled away a little took quickly as he laid a hand on her arm. She was too distracted to notice. T.K. said something, but she didn't notice that, either. Too many things raced across her mind.  
  
"What's got into you, Kari?" Davis asked, seeming concerned but not expecting her to come up with anything too serious.  
  
She shook her head. "Tired, I guess."  
  
"You've been tired all day, at least that's what Yolie said."  
  
T.K. whacked him playfully on the arm. "And you think she's making any sense after getting kissed by Don?"  
  
"Nope, guess not," Davis linked his arms behind his head and stared into space. "I don't know what girls see in that guy. I'm a thousand times more talented than him. AND better looking, too."  
  
"Um, if you say so," T.K. said, rolling his eyes all the way around his head.  
  
"I agree," Kari murmured, and honestly she did. Any boy she ever laid eyes on seemed more attractive than Don.  
  
Davis grinned stupidly. "Really, Kari." He stuck his tongue out at T.K. "See??"  
  
"She's obviously overtired and delirious," T.K. countered and turned back to Kari. "But seriously, Kari, are you all right?"  
  
"Yeah, sure." She stopped walking. "Why don't you go home, guys. You don't need to walk to me all the way."  
  
"Hey, no problem," Davis replied and attempted to flex whatever little muscles he had. "You need a big strong man to protect you."  
  
T.K. chuckled. "And where are you going to find her one?"  
  
"Hey! I'm strong. I got plenty of muscles to spare!"  
  
"Yeah, and it's all in your head."  
  
"I kind of want to be alone for a while." Kari cut in quickly, "no big deal."  
  
Davis was obviously disappointed. "All right, all right. I'm leaving. Don't let anyone drag you off."  
  
T.K. didn't protest as he and Davis left Kari, but something about her bothered him for a long while after they parted. There was an odd look in her eyes, a look that he had seen before. That first time she was pulled into the dark ocean, she had sat outside the school on a bench, her head down, waiting for the inevitable although she didn't know what it was. When he went to her, she didn't even look at him, just sat there staring into space. There was desperation and fear in her eyes that normally shun so bright.  
  
And now it's back, and it's calling out.  
  
~*~  
  
The streets were silent as Kari made her way home, very slowly. She was very hot and her nerves felt raw and fuzzy. The world was miles and miles away as she took one step after another in the setting sunlight. Something in the back of her mind said something about homework, but didn't know what it was supposed to be, or if she remembered anything from class at all.  
  
Her foot hit the pavement rhythmically, like a slow, sleepy drumbeat. Sometimes it sounded perfectly on beat, and sometimes a little off.  
  
Wait.  
  
One of her feet hit the ground again and she waited half a second before moving. A step sounded before her own foot struck. Someone else was walking close by.  
  
The hair on the back of her neck stood up as she suddenly wished she had let T.K. and Davis walk her home. Quickly, she picked up her pace and headed down the street. The other pair of feet was getting closer.  
  
It wasn't until she reached the intersection did she realize her stalker was walking very closely to her right, able to cut her off if she attempted to turn in that direction at all. Growing more frightened, she turned to the left, down a darker, narrower street.  
  
Pit pat, pit pat...  
  
The footsteps drew closer as she broke into a run but the other had no trouble keeping up with her. It loomed sometimes near, sometimes far, toying with her until the dead end finally appeared.  
  
She stood before the wall, somehow irrationally hoping its shadow would hide her. Because she knew exactly who was following her and he confirmed her fear as the cold hand came around her neck.  
  
"Leave me alone," she whispered as the taller boy pulled her book bag off of her back and tossed it aside. She heard it hit the ground with a dull "thunk".  
  
"Don't you like me, Kari?" the boy asked. "All the other girls do."  
  
"No, I don't like you," she said, keeping her voice strong, however hard that was to do. "Please go away."  
  
"Well that's too bad." She felt his breath as he smelled her hair. "Because I like you a lot." He pulled her close to him. "You're really pretty."  
  
Desperate, Kari waited for him to press against her. Then, with all her strength, she swung backwards and her elbow caught something hard. Don cried out in surprise and loosened his grip. Taking the chance, Kari pushed him away and slipped past him as he staggered a few steps away. Unfortunately, he was much faster and her heart skipped a beat as the cold fingers seized her hand.  
  
"Where do you think you're going?"  
  
As he threw her onto the freezing concrete and straddled her stomach, she was vaguely aware that the back of her head was bleeding.  
  
~*~  
  
When her distress burst into his skull, he looked to the sky with a start and for a moment they looked bloody red.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED... 


	3. New Path

Ch.3 New Path  
  
Her muffled screams pounded in his head as he made his way in the puzzling alleys as quickly as possible, the only showing him the way been the rising moon and the distress that somehow connected them two. Every few steps he took, he felt her panic and fear grow, which was too quickly for comfort.  
  
I hope I'm not too late, he thought incoherently.  
  
He had stopped periodically to wonder what he would be late for, or why he even bothered to rush to her aid. Perhaps for the same reasons he had let the dog live, perhaps not. But this time, he knew more than just instinct drove him to her. There was something else, too. Something else wanted him close to her, for causes he could not comprehend.  
  
The scar on his neck burned suddenly.  
  
There was no time to waste. He might now know who she was or why he cared, but she was in danger, and she was afraid.  
  
So afraid...  
  
She was eight years old and although he knew he was still walking down the street, he saw her standing in front of him simultaneously. The surroundings seemed vaguely familiar but he couldn't quite put him finger on it. She was standing there, merely a child with a little scarf tied around her neck. Her gaze was fixed on the floor, avoiding him. And she was afraid.  
  
"Is this the eighth child?"  
  
It took him a second to realize the words came from his own mouth.  
  
"No." Another voice said. It sounded feminine but he could not see who had spoken. That part of his memory seemed to be incomplete. "I've never seen her before in my life."  
  
Time seemed to skip ahead a few seconds as his own lips moved again. "Little girl,"-the voice sounded dark and slimy-"Why have you chosen to show yourself to me? Do you have any idea what's going to happen to you?"  
  
The child nodded and looked up a little, bringing her face to the light. She was gorgeous even at such an early age. But the shakiness in her eyes was totally different than his previous visions.  
  
"Then why?"  
  
"Because..."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Because I don't want my friends to get hurt," she blurted out. "Please don't hurt them. Please don't hurt Gatomon."  
  
"My, what a thoughtful little girl you are." That voice was really starting to annoy him, even though he knew it was his own. "Gatomon, why won't you look at the eighth child's face?"  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about," the feminine speaker said with a hint of stubbornness. "I don't know who she is."  
  
"Is that right?" The little girl suddenly cried out in pain and the stubbornness suddenly broke as the voice cried out.  
  
"Kari!"...  
  
Kari.  
  
He rolled the name over in his mouth. Beautiful. Well suited of her. Before he could contemplate it anymore, her screams came again. This time, it was not from inside but straight ahead. She was near.  
  
There was a time when such heavy scents of blood, sweat, and lust would have excited him.  
  
~*~  
  
She tried hard to move but Don's weight kept her down and sharp pain entered her shoulders as he held both her slender wrists in one hand and forced them back over her head. With his free hand, he reached into the bottom of her shirt and pinched her tender skin.  
  
"Get off me," she tried to shout, but it came out as no more than a whisper.  
  
"Then you'd get away, wouldn't you?" he said with the same cute expression he used to charm all the girls with 5 miles of Odieba. It sickened her to no end.  
  
"You won't get away with this," she said, hoping it sounded stern enough.  
  
"You won't tell anybody," Don said as he stroke her just below the breast. "Because you'll like it." The look of hunger in his eyes told her he intended to do exactly what she feared.  
  
"No I won't!" With a burst of strength she struggled, kicking and twisting as much as she could. "Help! Someone help, please!"  
  
The blow numbed half of her face. Shocked, she stopped moving and looked up. He lowered his hand and smiled as she grimaced at the heat welling up on her cheek. He was not afraid to hit her and that scared her even more. The smile never went away. It stayed there as if an impenetrable mask.  
  
"No one's going to hear you," he said calmly through his perfect teeth. "So you might as well save your breath."  
  
"No..."  
  
He held one finger in front of her lips. "Shush." Leaning down, he held her chin still and kissed her. It was so hard and forceful that she had to restrain from gagging as he shoved his tongue down her throat, choking off her air. There was something on his breath-the faint taste of alcohol.  
  
He had drank.  
  
Horrid images flooded her mind as he continued without any notice of her discomfort. Angry and desperate, she bit down with all her strength and tasted blood. With a jerk Don pulled away from her, gagging and coughing. She took the chance to catch her breath deeply. He still held her down but his head was turned to one side as he spat out something red.  
  
"You bit my tongue!" he shouted at her. But it sounded almost funny with blood and spit welling up in his mouth. "You little..."  
  
She didn't wait for him to finish. Twisting her wrists in opposite directions, she pulled one hand free and dug her nails into his arm. Unfortunately, it barely broke skin and only succeeded in further angering him. With a hard shove, he pushed her down onto the ground by the shoulders and pinned her. The fabric of her top ripped with a sound like a cat in pain as he torn it open all the way down to her naval. Every time she tried to resist, he struck her and sent her back down.  
  
Heat burned up in her head and drummed loudly in her ears as she curled up and let him have his way. She felt his hand glide across her bottom and begin to pull off her shorts.  
  
Then it lifted.  
  
Everything lifted.  
  
She rolled onto her back cautiously, expecting to find the other toying with her, and saw the towering figure, a mere shadow in the evening, pulling Don off of her with one strong hand.  
  
~*~  
  
The boy reeked of arrogance and seemed to care nothing save for the moment. Even before he reached them, he could sense something coming from the girl, a soft light perhaps, that emitted from her. When they first appeared in sight, he was surprised to see her form unmoving and lifeless on the ground, completely unlike one who gave off such energy.  
  
He seized the boy's hand as it went for the girl's already torn cloth. The other turned around and somehow did not seem to be worried or surprised.  
  
"Hey man, bug off!" he said, still sitting over her.  
  
Without a word, he yanked the boy away with a jerk so hard the kid had to stagger to keep his balance. He was older than the girl, perhaps seventeen or eighteen, and quite strong but far from a match for his opponent. He attempted to take a swing, only to be swung around and have his arm painfully bent behind his back.  
  
"Look, I'm just having a little fun with my girlfriend here," he said with a gentlemanly voice despite the situation.  
  
The other said nothing but tightened the grip on his arm just below the point of snapping bone. The little goddess has turned onto the back and was watching through the wetness glimmering in her eyes. Her cloth was torn, exposing smooth skin spotted with dirt and bruises. With one hand, she carefully wiped the side of her cheek that appeared slightly swollen. The sight of this was making the prospect of broken bones tempting.  
  
The boy made a hard move away from him and turned around, one fist raised. He caught it effortlessly and twisted it. The yelp reminded him of the pitiful dog, except this time he had no reasons to let the prey go.  
  
"Ow! Let go!" the boy cried. "All right! I'll go! What's wrong with you? Let go!"  
  
His blood would taste much better than the dog's, and would be much more enjoyable. His fangs aches to bite, to be drowned in the sweet redness. But his eyes wondered for a second and landed on  
  
Kari, is it?  
  
again.  
  
She was half sitting up, propped by one arm and the other doing its best to conceal her exposed torso. And maybe it was his imagination, but she appeared to be glowing. Deep brown eyes focused on him.  
  
There were more important things to tend to.  
  
Releasing the boy's fist, he grabbed the boy's collar and lifted him off the ground effortlessly. The kid's eyes widened and clawed at his hand with both of his. With a full-arc swing he was tossed out of the alley, flying a full eight feet before landing and sliding into the opposite wall. In the space it took for the star in front of his eyes to clear, he scrambled out of sight as quickly as possibly.  
  
If he had a tail, it would've been tucked between his legs.  
  
~*~  
  
Kari watched the tall man throw Don out of the alley with no more effort than a wolf would a ragged doll. Trying her best to hold her broken garments together, she wondered what to do next. Her savior stood there for a moment, studying her intensely. She was very grateful but something about him bothered her.  
  
"Th, thank you," she stammered. "I don't know what he would've.... thank you."  
  
The man didn't speak. Instead, he walked toward her and removed his coat. As he passed her and knelt down to place the coat over her, she thought about refusing but was suddenly very cold. A freezing wind was coming from him and chilled her to the bone in a way she had not felt in a long time.  
  
"Are you all right?" the man asked. He still stayed in the shadows behind her and the way he spoke was strained, as if his voice had been out for ages.  
  
"Yeah," she said quietly, pulled the coat over herself. It wasn't her imagination. Even his breath felt cold.  
  
A moment of silence passed.  
  
"Your name is Kari, isn't it?"  
  
She started. "How did you know my name?"  
  
Another pause. "I don't know."  
  
Fear washed over her all over again. Slowly, she stood and let the coat drop to the ground. "Thank you for your help," she said. "I'm going home now."  
  
A hand touched her shoulder and she spun around to face him. For a moment all the light in her seemed to scream as every nightmare in the past five years overcame her.  
  
"No," she gasped. "No."  
  
~*~  
  
Hanging his coat on her small shoulders, he could tell she was shivering. Not surprising, really. It was winter and even if her cloth hadn't been torn, she wasn't dressed nearly enough. The tension in her seemed to ease as he wrapped the rough cloth around her but when he spoke her name she stiffened again.  
  
"I'm going home now," she said softly and stood up, not caring that the coat fell away.  
  
Not wanting her to get away but at a lack of words, he reached for her. His touch seemed to send a shock through her body and she spun around, the look of fear returning in her eyes. When they gaze met, her face turned pale so quickly that it was visible even in the dark.  
  
"No," she breathed and took a step away from him. "No, not you."  
  
Confused, he stood. She seemed so small under his full height. A few seconds passed when they just stared at each other in the moonlight. She backed away a little more, eyes still on him.  
  
"Leave me alone," she whispered. "This is a dream. Leave me alone."  
  
He moved toward her, a little taken back by her reaction to him. "Please," he said, thinking hard. "I've been looking for you, I...."  
  
"Go away!" she suddenly shouted. "Go away! Leave me alone!" Not bothering to hear his response, she turned and made a run out the alley, no longer caring about her torn garment and bare breast.  
  
As a loss for words, he stepped forward before she got too far and seized her wrist.  
  
She had fought the last attacker. He knew she had. Even from far away, he had felt her struggled and resist, and had admired her strength. But this time she did no such thing. As soon as he stopped her, she dropped to the ground, as if all the hope and energy had been sucked out of her. She fell down and laid there, one arm still in his hand and her face buried in the other. Her shoulders rose and fell slightly, telling him that she was crying. There was blood drying on the back of her head where she had pushed down the very first time.  
  
She said something and although he didn't hear he suddenly felt he must be hurting her. He released her arm and she simply let it drop. Concerned and flustered, he knelt by her on one knee and reached to brush the crusted blood away from her hair.  
  
"Do what you want," she said again.  
  
His hand stopped inches away.  
  
"I don't care. Do what you want and make it quick."  
  
He thought for a moment and cleared his throat. Speaking was still quite a laborious task. "What do you think I'm going to do to you?" he asked.  
  
She shifted her head and gazed up at him with such hatred that he nearly backed away. "You're still the same," she said through her tears and turned away, looking at the ground. "Don't play games with me. If you want to kill me, go ahead. I don't care anymore."  
  
He thought about this. "Why would I want to k..."  
  
"Don't do this to me," she cut him off. She was still lying there, propping herself up half way with her arms, looking down. Her hair, some matted with blood, hid most of her face. "But then again, that's just who you are. I don't know how or why you keep coming back. Now spare us both the misery and just do what you want!"  
  
She flinched when he touched her as if expecting him to hurt her as the boy had, but he merely dusted away the dirt on her cloth and hair. Then, picking up the coat, he draped it over her again.  
  
"Your name is Kari, isn't it?" he asked again.  
  
She looked at him, obviously confused. "We both know it is."  
  
"Do you know who I am?" he said softly, careful not to frighten her.  
  
"Yes," she said uncertainly, "of course I...."  
  
"I don't."  
  
She stopped. "What?"  
  
"Something led me to you," he told her. Reaching over, he brushed away the hair hanging in front of her face. The sparkles in her beautiful eyes shun like stars.  
  
~*~  
  
Kari didn't pull away as Myotismon brushed away the brown locks hanging in front of her line of sight. In fact, she barely noticed.  
  
"And just on time, too, it seems," he said with a thin smile, but there was no malevolence in it and that was not something she was used to from him. "If you really want me to, I'll go away," he continued gently. "But I was merely hoping for a few answers, ones that you might have."  
  
She studied him closely. Yes, it really was him. His skin was still pale blue, although it seemed somewhat lighter. His blond hair, once properly laid and combed, now lay tousled and wild, as if he had been in some bar brawl. The last she remembered, his eyes had been hard and shiny like steel. They still were, but somehow they looked different.  
  
He no longer had his mask, uniform and cape. The cloth he wore looked like they had come from a dump. His appearance was no longer as threatening as before, but that meant little to her. Was he human? No, his fangs still glimmered in the moonlight. But still...  
  
She took a chance. "You're not lying."  
  
He shook his head slowly. "Hard to lie when you don't know anything."  
  
His demeanor was gentle and human. No matter how hard she looked at him, he didn't back away or appear annoyed. But how can that be? No one can change so much.  
  
Can they?  
  
"I'm Kari," she said carefully. "But I, I guess you know that already. Don't you?"  
  
"Is that a bad thing?"  
  
It could've been, she thought to herself. But if he had intended to have harm come to her, he wouldn't waste his breath this way. However, she kept her guard up. "How did you get here?"  
  
"Wish I knew."  
  
Straining to think and deal with the shock of the reality, she pushed herself off the ground and stood before him. He didn't rise, just knelt there. They looked at each other in silence. She was vaguely aware that she was still cold.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
He paused. "Do I frighten you?"  
  
"A little," she said, unable to take her eyes off of him. He was so different. "I guess it's, um... because I did not expect to see you, after all this.... time."  
  
"You do know who I am then?"  
  
"It's hard to explain."  
  
It was indeed very difficult to explain. Kari traced his features with her eyes. There once was the time when she thought him to be the most hideous and disgusting creature in all worlds. But there he was before her, all signs of evil behind him, or at least seemed to be. She had never noticed how blue his eyes were, and how deep.  
  
This can happen, a little voice said to her, he can change. Light can be his new guide.  
  
Take a chance.  
  
He didn't flinch as she reached out and touched his face lightly with her fingers. It felt real enough. Something deep inside yearned to speak and the words sounded as if they were not her own.  
  
"You are my friend," she said, heart pounding, "and I am glad you are back."  
  
TO BE CONTINUED...  
  
AUTHOR"S NOTE: hiya! R&R please! I really wanna finish this before going back to school but I donno how long with will be. It's already longer than I planned. Tell me if u think the plot's going too fast. Thanks and enjoy! 


	4. Lilies

Ch. 4 Lilies  
  
When she walked into the classroom, the chattering voices suddenly quieted and all the eyes turned to here in unison. She stopped for a moment but then decided to ignore them and continued to her seat. After all, what they wanted to think was their business.  
  
They think he raped me, she thought bitterly, they expect me to be emotionally scarred or something.  
  
Even the teacher paused to cast her a concerned glance when he walked in. Pretending to bury her nose in a textbook, she ignored him, too.  
  
I've been through too much to be scarred by that creep.  
  
Thinking those words oddly cheered her up a bit. After all, there were more important matters to tend to right now, more to think about. Like her new "friend"....  
  
A pair of arms wrapped around her and squeezed.  
  
"Oh Kari, you poor thing!" Yolie's voice exclaimed. "I can't believe Don's such a jerk! Are you okay? You're okay, right? Tell me you're...."  
  
She could only smile. "Yes, I'm fine, Yo...."  
  
"The nerve of that guy!" Davis slammed his fists on her desk. He looked rather comical when he's angry. "Why if he were here, I'd tear him apart! I'd hang him upside down and let a swarm of Demidevimon feet on him! I mean, I'd, I'd.... help me out here!"  
  
"Make him smell your gym socks?" T.K. said, but there was no humor in his eyes as he studied her closely.  
  
"Oh very funny, T.M.," Davis shoved the other boy aside. "Seriously, Kari, just gimme the word, and I'll hurt him so bad...."  
  
She laughed softly. "That's alright Davis," she told him calmly as Yolie let go, allowing her to breath, "it was all they could do last night to keep Tai from killing him. I think he'll get what he deserves."  
  
"Yeah, cool it Davis," Cody said from behind. He was still as short as last year and was barely looking over the desk. Sometimes she wondered if he'll ever grow at all. "Kari's too strong to let THAT guy get the better of her. Besides, keep ranting and your hair may stand up even more."  
  
"Oh yeah? Well what do you know, short stuff?" As Yolie dragged the two away, still arguing, T.K. sat down next to her.  
  
"Are you really alright, Kari?" There was genuine concern in his voice.  
  
"I'll be fine, T.K. You guys shouldn't worry about me so much."  
  
"How can we not?" He said a little louder. "You almost got...."  
  
She shushed him. "Keep it down. Raped? I know. But I wasn't."  
  
T.K. turned away. "Sorry. It's just that, I don't know what I'd do if you were."  
  
She laid a hand on his arm. "You'd be there for me."  
  
There was silence for a moment as their eyes met. "I guess so."  
  
"Then there is nothing to worry about." She pointed at the front of the room. "Class is about to start. Do you have your book or did Davis loose it again?"  
  
"Kari?"  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"Who saved you last night?"  
  
She opened her mouth but was at a lack for words. All at once she wanted to tell him everything, but what will happen if she did? They will want to fight, to destroy, and tell her she's neither been naive or in shock for trusting him at all. And perhaps she was.  
  
But she wanted to give him one chance.  
  
Just one.  
  
"A passer-by, I guess," she said, trying not to sound nervous. "Guess I got lucky."  
  
She could see the skepticism in his eyes, but the lecture was starting and she pretended to be interested. And when class finally ended, she slipped out of the room without having to exchange more words with him and managed not to look suspicious doing it. There was too much to think of and although last night had not been the most pleasant experience, it was the last thing on her mind.  
  
She avoided her friends for the rest of the day, wanting to see them but knew something would come along and tempt her to spill everything, which she could not afford to do. Too much was happening at once and she knew she must deal with this one on her own.  
  
Last night, she had slept for the first time in a year without the torture of heat or light.  
  
~*~  
  
No one noticed as she headed in the opposite direction of her home at the intersection. Instead of turning right, she turned left, into the narrow alley she had laid sobbing in last night. There was not a single being around save for the tall figure leaning against the wall, head down in the shadows.  
  
Seeing him like this again almost made her turn back. The way he stood there not moving and hardly seen reminded her of the old days, when she feared him more than death itself. He seemed menacing and she wanted to run before he could turn to her and reveal his old self.  
  
While she still stood there debating, he turned to her. She relaxed when he smiled.  
  
"I could smell you a mile away," he said. His words no longer sounded so strained, as if practice had made it come easier.  
  
She couldn't think of an answer to the statement.  
  
"It's not a bad thing, mind you," he continued and pushed himself off the wall toward her. "You smell much better than that boyfriend of yours."  
  
A humorless laugh escaped her. "He's not my boyfriend."  
  
He seemed amused. "I thought not." A pause. "You smell like lilies."  
  
"Lilies?"  
  
"Yeah. You know-fresh, clean."  
  
For unknown reasons, the comment made her cheeks burn. She turned away even though she knew he could see. I would be embarrassed if anyone told me that, she told herself, I just can't believe it's from him. She cleared her throat. "How did you spend the night?"  
  
"Roaming." He ran a hand through his blond hair, which he seemed to have cleaned up some during the course of the night. "Vampires don't sleep much. And that's what I am, right?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
"It feels odd," he said with mild bewilderment, "to be so confused. Everything feels so new, though I'm sure I've seen all this before." He glanced at her and for a moment she thought she saw a hint of sadness in his steel blue eyes. "I still scare you."  
  
That surprised her. "What? No, I...." She stopped. It was true. Even standing here talking to him, she still kept her distance.  
  
"Why is that, Kari?" He asked calmly and did not move toward her, as if afraid to upset her with his presence. "If were friends in a past life, why are you so frightened of me?"  
  
She sighed. "There was some.... unpleasantness between us." That was the understatement of the millennium but for the moment she could think of nothing better. Plus she was afraid, very afraid to anger him.  
  
"Unpleasantness." He seemed to test out the word.  
  
"Yes." His silence was making her nervous.  
  
"Is that why you were afraid of me last night?"  
  
"No," she responded a little too quickly, thinking hard. "I, um, guess I thought you were a ghost or something."  
  
"Did I hurt you, Kari?"  
  
The question was another surprise. Never in her wildest dreams would she have imagined herself standing there, speaking to her worst enemy and nightmare. And she would never have thought of him asking this question. There was insecurity in his eyes.  
  
"No," she shook her head quickly. "No, of course not. It, it wasn't a big deal."  
  
He seemed relieved at that. "I'm glad." A minute passed as he studied her. "How do you feel?"  
  
"Feel?"  
  
"After last night."  
  
"I'm better," she said and something in her told her to add, "thanks to you."  
  
He smiled. "It wasn't a big deal."  
  
She looked at her watch. It was getting late and somehow she regretted having to leave him just a bit. "I have to go," she said, "I'll come find you again. Tomorrow night."  
  
He simply nodded. "All right."  
  
She started to leave. "Oh, and Myo-san?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Be careful out there. Some people don't take kindly to...."  
  
"My kind?" He looked away. "I know. I will."  
  
"Bye."  
  
"Kari?" She halted and turned when he called.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I don't know what happened before," he said slowly, "but it must have been something worse than you're telling me, because from what I've seen, you're not one to scare easy. For what it's worth, I'm sorry."  
  
She was silent as he went on.  
  
"I would never hurt you. If I had before, I must have been pretty stupid." A dry laugh. "But I don't want to harm you, not ever. Seems you're the only friend I have in this world."  
  
~*~  
  
The time drew near.  
  
Though he could not see them clearly, Daemon felt the connection between dark and light worlds away. Contact has been made and his new pawn, once the feared vampire lord, was primed for duty. Excitement tingled his senses but his chilling appearance showed none of it. Physical expression of pleasure was below him.  
  
The other inhabitants of the dark dimension, however, were somehow less calm than him. Marinedevimon skulked the gray oceans for days. Sometimes he was seen as a shadow in the deep beyond. He was restless, just as Skullsatamon, who left millions of footprints up and down the beachside.  
  
He knew that Ladydevimon often hovered near him as he meditated or merely rested, but she never approached. She was curious, he could feel it, about what was going on since she herself did not possess the power to gaze outside of their world. However, she wouldn't ask, not yet, because it was not wise to disturb him when he was in the middle of a mission of this magnitude. So she left him alone the majority of the time and harnessed her own power. If one were to gaze up into the sky, she could be spotting dancing against the gloomy clouds. Her movements were graceful, erotic, but if one studied them closer, it was obvious that they were meant to kill.  
  
Daemon took a deep breath, and let it out slow as his vision of the outer world blurred and disappeared, replaced by the darkness of his keep.  
  
So the guardian of light and the keeper of the dark had met.  
  
His corps was strong it wouldn't be fair to keep them waiting like this. They were fine soldiers, ones who fight with style and skill. Finesse was a lousy thing to waste. But it won't be long now, won't be long before they could be released to do as they please, to wreck havoc upon both the real and the digital world.  
  
It was sweet revenge.  
  
It was destiny.  
  
Tendrils of dark energy crept from him. It was so close now, so close he could almost reach out and seize it. A few more days, just a few more before the spores would unleash their power and do their duty.  
  
They held two things only, but that was more than adequate to put things into place.  
  
One was energy, the kind of evil power never before seen on earth and only rarely spotted in the digital world compacted into a tiny sphere.  
  
The other was Myotismon's memory, complete with his age-old hatred for the eighth child.  
  
~*~  
  
She was in front of the mirror again, but this time she was not in a daze. Her heart felt like a train station with millions of different feelings passing through nonstop. Slowly, Kari combed her hair, running the slender teeth through her smooth brown locks.  
  
There was anxiety in her, and anticipation, though she was not certain what she was waiting for. To see him again tonight? It was risky, but she intended to finish what she had started and risk was merely a part of it.  
  
But what had she started?  
  
Confusion hit her every now and then the night before, during which she slept little. It occurred to her that she has no idea where was this going to lead, or how much time she had before Myotismon's presence was discovered, or even how long his memory would stay lost. And what would happen if it resurfaced again? What would she do then?  
  
The reasonable, logical thing to do would be to take this opportunity and destroy him.  
  
The kind thing to do would be to turn him around before his old self returned.  
  
One hand still holding the comb, she fumbled through her drawer and pulled out a new hairclip. It was one of the smaller gifts from her fourteenth birthday party. She could hardly remember who had given it to her since it was left in a pile with the others. Maybe Tai or Davis. Clipping her hair into place, her mind wondered back.  
  
Her party had been a success. It was in Digitamamon's restaurant and everyone was there, human and digimon alike. For once there was no argument about the bill and nothing was broken. Davis, of course, made sure to fill up her dance card with his name.  
  
She remembered that day well, because although it had come off as it great day, she was not entirely happy. True, she loved her friends, and the party, and all the great gifts, but it was on the night before that she had glowed in her sleep for the first time. And it was at that party she decided to keep this secret to herself.  
  
Now she had another secret.  
  
Someone rapped on her door.  
  
"Come in, Gatomon."  
  
The small white cat pushed open the door and strolled inside. "How'd you know it was me?"  
  
"Guess claws sound different."  
  
Gatomon eyed her for a second. "You look better."  
  
Kari turned around and smiled. "I didn't before?"  
  
Gatomon hopped onto the windowsill and gazed out nonchalantly. "Oh, you just looked little weird couple days ago." She twisted her head back toward the room. "And after what happened that other night, you don't seem bothered at all."  
  
"Isn't that a good thing?"  
  
"I don't know, I just...."  
  
"You expected me to be traumatized," Kari cut in with a hint of amusement.  
  
"....maybe," Gatomon said thoughtfully. "Aren't you?"  
  
"Not particularly." She leaned back against the dresser.  
  
They were both silent for a minute. Then Gatomon spoke again. "You've changed Kari?"  
  
The comment was startling. "I have?"  
  
"Yeah, you used to be so sensitive and sweet.... I mean, you still are, but something's different."  
  
Kari sighed. There was no right way to hear something like that. "Maybe I don't want to be bothered by every little incident anymore."  
  
"This wasn't a little incident."  
  
This was also an argument she wasn't in the mood for. Hoping to put an end to it, she forced a cheery expression. "Maybe I am changing a little. But I think it's for the better, don't you? I don't get scared like I used to because I've grown up."  
  
Thankfully, Gatomon seemed to take the hint and appeared slightly relieved as she pushed open the bedroom window. "I'm happy if you are, Kari," she said and prepared to leap out. "I'm going out. See you later."  
  
"Bye, Gatomon."  
  
She waited until the other was out of sight before telling everyone she was going out for some air before dinner. She said it was because she was hot. And her parents believed. After all, there was no reason they shouldn't.  
  
She didn't notice Gatomon watching her leave the building from a treetop. She also didn't know that Gatomon considered following her but decided against it.  
  
~*~  
  
When she first spotted him, he was kneeling on the ground in the same alley, the light of the setting sun showering his back and hair. He wasn't alone this time. Before him, leaping playfully, was a large dog with mangy brown fur. It jumped, then circled, then laid down for his belly to be rubbed by the stranger. There was a healing wound on its shoulder.  
  
She stood there watching them until he spotted her. He winked in her direction and waved for her to join them. As she approached his side, she kept her eyes on the dog. It didn't seem to fear neither of them. She lowered herself to a squat and ruffled its ear.  
  
"Who's this?"  
  
"Who knows," he replied. "Seems to have taken a shine to me. Kind of strange, really."  
  
"Why is that?" The dog scooted up close to her and licked her hand. "He probably just wanted a friend."  
  
"Yes, but...." He let his hand fall to the dog's side and traced the wound. It didn't seem to notice.  
  
She turned her gaze to him.  
  
"I guess I was hungry," he said as if in a daze. "Instinct. Been a vampire, you know. Something in me wanted to kill him, drain him dry, but I didn't. Don't know why I did either." The dog rubbed against him and he patted its head softly. "And I'm guessing he's not too bright, since he came to find me today."  
  
"When...."  
  
"The day I found you."  
  
She watched him play with the dog and felt a smile creep to her face. So it turned out he had save two lives that day. One of which was from himself, which was harder than saving a life from any human. His eyes were still that shade of steel blue, but they were gentle, and those silver fangs no longer looked so threatening. As the moon began to rise, she noticed how handsome he looked in the mild light and how close he was to a new beginning. 


	5. Blood and Kiss

Ch. 5  
  
As the days passed, he began to regain full use of his limbs and abilities. Of course, he could only assume he was regaining them, since there was a possibility that he was merely acquiring them. But the latter made him uneasy and he preferred to think of his new powers as reacquisition.  
  
It began when he first roamed the more desolate parts of the city. Hanging in large pipes and crumbled buildings were hundreds of bats. As he approached for the first time, he heard them speak and sensed their presence, and soon discovered that it was a development toward control. They followed his bidding like loyal servants, and although he was almost certain this was normal for his past life, in this life he had no idea how to handle this little party trick.  
  
He had also ceased walking the streets on his feet. First because of Kari's warning and second because he had found a more efficient way of traveling- flight. To avoid suspicion, however, he moved from rooftop to rooftop of the busy downtown, staying out of sight. It had a degree of excitement to it, and it gave him a chance to think, above and away from noise and prying eyes.  
  
About his past, mainly.  
  
And Kari.  
  
Every now and then, it bothered him that the girl seemed unwilling to clarify their relationship. Even after their many hidden conversations, she never made it clear just how they knew each other and why she always seemed too wound up to look him straight in the eye. There was a sense of familiarity about her that told him she was telling the truth about them knowing each other in the past. But it did not take much to see that was not the whole story.  
  
Making sure no one was watching, he leaped upward effortlessly and guided himself to the top of a giant stain-glass building under the cover of darkness. It was midnight and the moon was full.  
  
A bat was hunting in the night and heard his call. It glided to him as he sat and allowed it to land on his arm. He had amused Kari with the same trick just two days ago. She watched with fascination, but that had same uneasiness in her eyes, the one she when she watched anything he did.  
  
He scratched the bat's soft stomach with one finger and it let out a happy chirp. There was the faint odor of rotting food on its breath. It had fed plenty before coming. He felt slight envy, for he himself had not done so since the incident with the mutt in the alley.  
  
It was understandable. He was vampire, the fangs proved that more than enough. But this was a fact he did not know how to handle. His existence so far had proved that he did not require food to live, but what about.... blood?  
  
Kari didn't know about this. He had decided against telling her, having thought of no reason to. She already feared him because of reasons beyond his comprehension. There was no point in worrying her about the craving that was beginning to pain him.  
  
She had come to see him one gloomy morning, when heavy clouds blocked out the sun. They sat in the alley and talked for a short while before she offered him a honey cake from her lunch. Like most human food, it tasted like burlap to him and he told her so. It was the first time he had seen her laugh.  
  
It was, for lack of a better word, beautiful.  
  
But it also saddened him, because her tears seemed more familiar to him than her laugh.  
  
He let the little bat go. It cocked its head in an almost human attempt to bow and nearly fell over on its side. He smiled faintly and waved it off. It disappeared in the shine of the moon and the city.  
  
It had occurred to him that he might have been some sort of monstrosity in his past life. Heck, this may not even have been his body. But even though he tried to remember, he wasn't certain he wanted to. Much as he hated to admit it, he was afraid, afraid of what his memories would do to his mind if they were to come back.  
  
He rose to his feet and gazed at the moon. There were too many bits and pieces to put together and he didn't even know where to start. But at least now there was someone there. Kari will help him. She'll be there, at least for the start.  
  
He allowed himself to fall off the edge of building and landed on his feet twenty stories below. It came easily to him. Instinct. Honestly, he was beginning to detest that word. Everything he could not understand, he related to that awful word.  
  
As he strolled down the street, head down, he was painfully aware of his craving for the one thing he did not want. With his ability, he knew, there was no difficulty in acquiring a prey. But he hushed the hungry voice inside him and kept walking. This was another thing he was afraid of, the fear that if he hunted, he may not be able to stop it again.  
  
But if he did not, the craving would grow worse, and worse, until he had no other choice.  
  
~*~  
  
She shivered when Kari walked into the room.  
  
Not wanting to seem paranoid, Gatomon pushed her paws forward and stretched as if she had just awakened from a long nap. She wasn't sleeping, of course. For the past hour, she had been looking out the window anticipating Kari's return. She wanted very desperately for Kari to return early and prove herself to be merely over thinking.  
  
But Kari came home later than usual.  
  
She hopped onto the ground as Kari dropped her book bag against the wall. The temperature seemed to have dropped ten degrees for a second but before Gatomon could be certain, the sudden chill was gone.  
  
"And where were you?" she asked, trying not to sound too eager.  
  
"Just walking around." Kari walked over to the window and propped her elbows on the sill. "Isn't is pretty outside, Gatomon?"  
  
The small cat gave her an odd look. "What's got into you?"  
  
There was a dreamy quality in the other's voice. "Oh, nothing."  
  
Gatomon shook her head. "You're so strange."  
  
"Okay."  
  
Somewhat frustrated, she tugged on the girl's pants, but failed to obtain much attention. "Kari? Come on, where were you?"  
  
The banging on the door cut her short. Tai stuck his head inside and waved the phone receiver in his hand. "Sis? Davis is on the phone." He paused. "Is it cold in here?"  
  
At this, Gatomon felt the same feeling of chill. She felt words coming on but swallowed them.  
  
Kari caught the phone as Tai tossed it to her. "I donno. Maybe. Hello, Davis? ...."  
  
As Tai began to back out, Gatomon caught up to him and closed the door behind her, cutting off Kari's voice. "Tai? Can I ask you something?"  
  
~*~  
  
Kari was barely hearing Davis drone on about his soccer victory. She held the phone in one hand and picked at the nails of her other hand absently. There was a slight smile on her face but she didn't feel it.  
  
"Did you hear me, Kari?"  
  
She didn't reply.  
  
"Hello.... Earth to Kari!"  
  
She shook herself mentally and snapped back to reality. "Yeah, I'm listening, Davis."  
  
"Man you sure are distracted these couple of days," Davis exclaimed. "You were dreaming in class today, too. And yesterday. And the day before that. And...."  
  
"I get it."  
  
"So are you alright? If anyone else is bothering you...."  
  
She laughed. "I'm fine. Really. Stop worrying about me."  
  
"Well, you know, I just figured you're either in some kind of trouble again or in love or something."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"You don't like anyone else, do you?" Davis sounded comically anxious. "I mean, of course you don't. You have me. You don't need anyone else." He laughed nervously. "Seriously, you don't, do you?"  
  
"N...."  
  
"Okay! That's great! For a second there you got me worried. All right see you in school tomorrow bye."  
  
The line died before she could say anything else. She pressed the off button on the receiver. Same old Davis. He would never change and she would never expect him to. It was somehow comforting to know he'd always be around, doing and saying the first things that came to his mind.  
  
Speaking of which....  
  
She gazed out the window again. In trouble or in love. It was an odd way to put it. Either way, you'll falling into something hard to get out of. Well, she was in a certain degree of trouble and perhaps sinking by the minute. But she wasn't sorry for it, no way. As for love, of that she was certainly nowhere near.  
  
But how would she know?  
  
The stars were shining even brighter than the city lights on this quiet night. A sigh escaped her lips as she traced the steam on the window with her finger. She had never been in love before, at least she didn't think so, and she didn't plan to be for a long time. And this wasn't love, it didn't feel like it. She could think of no one she could possibility be in love with in a time like this. No, this was not love. This was a daze, a trance, a fever dream.  
  
Sometimes she liked to dream.  
  
~*~  
  
Tai told her she was been paranoid but it wasn't hard to detect the doubt in his voice. Gatomon roamed the forests of Server under the digital moon. She had wanted desperately to believe him but the chill surrounding Kari was too familiar for comfort.  
  
She stopped before the pile of rubble in the center of the forest. Myotismon's castle had fallen years ago deteriorated to this. Nowadays digimon come by every now and then to clean up and pick up the pieces, or merely spin wild tales about the battles that took place. One day those stories will seem too dark and wild, but there shall always be a few who knew it was true.  
  
As she pawed at the debris, the similar cold hit her. It froze her to the bone and made her head spin and fill with unpleasant memories. She closed her eyes and saw him standing before her.  
  
"Every time you look at me with those eyes, I will have to punish you."  
  
Those words would stay with her all her life, just like the scar on her paw. She still had nightmares about all the nights she spend licking her wounds, both physically and mentally. Too much blood had been spilt for and because of him.  
  
But he's gone now.  
  
No.  
  
She could feel him everywhere. Smell him, sense him, see him in her mind, even taste him on her tongue. He tasted like frozen smoke and tainted blood. It hurt her every nerve to even think of his presence but it was becoming harder and harder to deny it.  
  
And he was around Kari somehow, she was sure of it. Kari had his evil on her and she didn't know it. He had to be stopped before anything could be started. Or finished. She didn't know how or when but she did know in her heart that if nothing was done, Kari, the eighth child and guardian of light, would be the first to fall.  
  
But Gatomon was not going to let that happen. Standing upon what was left of the dark abode, she swore that history would not repeat.  
  
~*~  
  
He knew she sensed his restlessness but neither of them commented on it as they sat in the deserted alley and talked. The dog, whom she named Putsy, was laying by her feet sounding asleep. She didn't want to ask, he knew, but it was getting hard to control his fidgeting and growing unease.  
  
Finally, she spoke up in concern. "Are you alright?"  
  
"Of course." He added and immediately regretted, "why shouldn't I be?"  
  
She scratched Putsy's ear. "You seem kind of uncomfortable."  
  
"I do?"  
  
"I don't know. You're kind of preoccupied."  
  
He shook his head. "I'm sorry."  
  
"Don't be. Is something wrong?"  
  
He flashed her a smile that was meant to sooth her, but didn't know how effective it was with his fangs glistening. "Nothing for you to worry about."  
  
"Oh." There was disappointment in her eyes as she kept playing with Putsy. He sighed. There was no easy way to go about something such as this.  
  
"Plasma deprivation."  
  
She looked up. "What?"  
  
"I guess that's the nice way of putting it." He ran a hand through his hair. "To put it plainly, I need blood. At least my body does. It doesn't feel very well without it, a little like been starved."  
  
The look in her eyes told him that she had already guessed this, or at least something close to it. But there was also relief that showed she had expected something worse. She seemed to think about this.  
  
"Can you hunt?" she asked thoughtfully and her voice revealed her disapproval of the idea. "You can fly now, and you're stronger."  
  
"I suppose I can," he said, "but I'm not going to. Like you said, people here already don't take kindly to vampires, no point in giving them more reasons to."  
  
"But you need to live." He could see her debate her own thoughts. "Right? You've.... drank.... from Putsy without killing him. You can do it again. You can stop."  
  
"I may not be able to."  
  
She shuddered visibly at this and he decided it was a mistake bringing this up at all. But there was no turning back. "Who know," he said with an intentionally light tone, "maybe it'll turn out I don't need blood to survive. Stranger things have happened." I just can't think of any, he didn't add.  
  
Kari stopped stroking the dog and laid her slender fingers on her lap. "What if you can't?"  
  
He didn't answer and from the looks of it, she didn't expect him to. They sat in silence. There was no sound save for the occasional owl and Putsy's soft breathing.  
  
"Who am I, Kari?" This time, he looked her in her eyes as he spoke. "Please tell me. I know you have your reasons for keeping it contained, and I don't want to pressure you, but I really need to know."  
  
She looked away and he could see she was troubled but desperation was gnawing at his heart.  
  
"It may get worse," he told her softly. "I don't know how long I can hold off on this, and I need to know how to deal with it. To do that, I need to know I am, or just what I am."  
  
Still, no response came from her. For a moment he feared he had offended her in some way. He was about to apologize when she spoke up again.  
  
"Would it go away if you had a little bit?" she asked.  
  
"What?"  
  
"The craving. If you had a little bit of blood, would it go away?"  
  
"I don't know. To some degree, I suppose, or at least dampen it somewhat. But I'm not going to...."  
  
"Myo-san?"  
  
He stopped. Whenever she addressed him in that way, it gave him an odd feeling, like it's not right, but strangely good. "Yes?"  
  
She spoke slowly, with some reluctance. "When you said you wouldn't hurt me, you mean it. Right?"  
  
He tried very hard to understand what she was trying to say but came up with nothing. "Of course," he stammered. "I would never hurt you."  
  
The little goddess nodded. "Okay." As he watched, she reached up with her right hand and pulled the collar of her shirt over her shoulder, revealing the smooth bare skin underneath. "Go ahead."  
  
It took him a minute to catch up to what she meant and it surprised him. "No, Kari. I would never...."  
  
"You wouldn't hurt me, that's why I'm letting you do it." There was no fear this time. "You would stop before it got too far."  
  
That was true, he knew, but it was not something he could guarantee. He didn't want to do this, not to her. But the sight of her bare shoulder and the thought of metallic taste on his tongue were irresistible. He sighed. "Are you sure about this?"  
  
"It's safer," she replied, sounding a little surer of herself. "If you keep suppressing it, it would just get worse. But if you make it go away, at least for a little bit, it's much better for, well, everyone."  
  
He looked at her sitting there before him, shirt pulled to one side. She was so small compared to this big world, but there was so much to her that made her beautiful, special. There was strength in her large brown eyes despite the slight tremble of her hands. He moved in a little closer and laid one hand on her shoulder. It felt like silk and this time, she didn't even flinch.  
  
"If you want me to stop, I will," he said. She just nodded. Something about her expression told him she had been through a lot more pain than this.  
  
His fangs ached to sink into the tender flesh as he leaned in, holding her gently. She was shaking but he knew even if he tried to talk her out of it, she will not agree. He lingered for a moment as their faces were practically touching. Her hair smelled like wild flowers, full of life and spirit.  
  
Normally, he could not stand heat, but the warmth radiating from her cheek was soothing, comforting.  
  
Instead of going for her shoulder, he lifted one hand and touched her chin. When she didn't move to pull away, he turned it toward him. Her eyes were half open, as if hypnotized. And she didn't even attempt to protest when he kissed her gently.  
  
Putsy opened one eye lazily to see a gracefully, slender arm move to drape across the back of his neck. The dog yawned and went back to sleep.  
  
~*~  
  
Daemon jerked open his eyes in the darkness, sending two rays of violet light glowing in space. The ripple between dimensions was so strong that he felt as if the ground below him shook physically. There was a momentary bond between light and dark that wasn't meant to be, but this delighted him, for the time was almost at hand.  
  
Marinedevimon stopped swimming for the ocean had suddenly frozen for a split second and boiled the next. He too felt the wave of strange energy floating through the crevasses of space and time. With a growing grin on his jaws, he headed for shore, where Skullsatamon awaited him upon the sand that had been blowing into mounds by the surge of power.  
  
Up in the gray skies, Ladydevimon slowly stopped her black dances and drifted back down to the ground. It was time to conserve her energy. After all, there would soon be work to be done and havoc to be wrecked. She smiled at the thought as she joined her teammates on the way to Daemon's keep.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED...  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: ok, trying very hard to finish this before school started but it just keeps getting longer. All this so far was supposed to be covered in three chapters and I already had to cut a bunch of stuff to keep it at this length. If it seems like the plot is rushed, please tell me and I'll extend the further parts. Thank you! 


	6. Bittersweet Dreams

Ch. 6 Bittersweet Dreams  
  
She didn't say a word when he finally got around to drinking from her. Instead of sinking his fangs into her crudely, he tore a small gash in her skin and massaged lightly for the blood to flow out. He doubted she felt it at all because there was a dazed expression on her face as he placed his lips on the wound and drank.  
  
He took very little from her, no more than two ounces. When it was done, he took care to lick the wound clean. His saliva had its own effects. It numbed the pain and prevented infection. He didn't care to think about how he came about this information.  
  
Kari didn't move away as he ran his hands along her arms, enjoying her warmth. There was no much trouble and conflict in her eyes that the silence was nearly unbearable. She was debating herself, he knew, but he was not sure why. Something in their past, he guessed, made all of this-just her been with him-wrong.  
  
"Are you alright?"  
  
She nodded with a weary smile. "Seems everyone asks that these days."  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"Don't be."  
  
"I mean about the...."  
  
"I know what you mean."  
  
Smart girl, he thought to himself. It seemed as if she could read him without even looking in his direction. Her voice was so flat it was hard to tell whether she had any regret about it, but it was too late to worry about that. Besides, he wasn't even sure whether he regretted it himself.  
  
No, I don't.  
  
She stood up without a sound and moved away from him. "It's getting late. I should go home." He also got to his feet as she patted Putsy on the back. "Bye Putsy." It was disappointing when she didn't turn to him. "Bye Myo- san."  
  
He watched her walk out of the alley, her shadow trailing behind like a loyal friend forever bonded. But it was lucky, because it was given the destiny of accompanying her, when he was left behind the darkness, wondering, perhaps for the rest of his life.  
  
Leaning against the wall by Putsy, he tried to predict what would happen next and came up with nothing. The animal craving in him seemed to have subsided he could once again think clearly, but all he could think about was her, offering her own blood to him. He closed his eyes and felt her lips on his one more time.  
  
It was as if more went to him from her through the kiss than the blood.  
  
I shouldn't have done it, he admitted to himself. I don't regret it but that doesn't matter, because it was wrong. I know. And she knows.  
  
But it would gnaw at his heart for the rest of night not knowing why. He felt as if he was been haunted by half of himself, the half he could not see but was apparently ugly, and scary to the world.  
  
He slid down to the ground with his back against the wall. Pondering hurts, especially when concerns undesirable truth, and someone you care for.  
  
~*~  
  
The headache set in two blocks away from home.  
  
But she didn't notice until it began to worsen, because there were too many things on her mind. A part of her mind kept trying to convince her that it was all a dream, that nothing had happened. She wasn't sure whether she wanted to believe that or not.  
  
A gust of wind drew her attention to the hardening scar. It was merely a thin red line now, and there was no swelling. It hadn't hurt. In fact, it felt sort of good when he placed his lips on her skin, like he was kissing her all over again. It was wonderful, as if he drew away all the bothersome heat inside her and replaced it with a soothing coolness.  
  
But it wasn't supposed to happen.  
  
What will they say? A small voice demanded from deep within. What do you think they will say when they find out your little tongue wrestle with the enemy?  
  
She supposed she should feel dirty about this, guilty even. But as she waited those feelings did not come. And it was not "tongue wrestle", as the little voice put it. He had not tried to force anything into her as Don had. He was gentle when he touched her, and he was careful not to pressure on her, as if she may shatter like a delicate jewel.  
  
I never thought I'd say this about him of all people, but he was a gentleman.  
  
He didn't force her further, or even tried to lay an unfriendly hand on her. It was a kiss, simple and clean. While the rest of the world, including her own conscious, would have told her to pull away, she shut them out and pulled him close instead. She had been kissed before, by Davis and T.K. and even Ken during their silly weekend games of Spin the Bottle, but this was different.  
  
But it's still wrong, the small voice insisted.  
  
Why?  
  
"It COULD have been wrong," she said aloud. Things have changed. She wasn't the only one giving him another chance. After all, something must have convinced the digital gods to bring him back again, right? He may have been put here on purpose. He may have been sent to save her at the right moment, to earn her guidance and friendship.  
  
And love?  
  
In trouble or in love. Which one am I?  
  
Another wave of splitting headache hit her and she rubbed her temples in frustration. Suddenly, the ground seemed to quiver beneath her feet. She pressed one hand against a lamppost just in time to keep from falling. The metal felt almost as cold as the ice in her veins. She shuddered.  
  
Her vision felt as if it had doubled as she dragged her legs onward, arms wrapped around herself in a vain effort to expel the cold swimming inside her body. There was two of everything, including the stairs that looked so long to her weary eyes.  
  
I think I'm getting sick, she thought faintly.  
  
And deep down, she knew exactly why. It wasn't the weather, or the air, or the fact that she let a creature of the night drink from her. It was because he had kissed her, and it wasn't supposed to happen.  
  
So it was wrong, she thought as she pushed open the front door to her apartment. The doorknob looked blurry and it was a challenge just grasping it. She managed to stumble to her room and spot the small white cat on her bed before her knees gave out. The floor felt warm compared to the freezing wind howling from behind her pale skin.  
  
She heard Gatomon call her name before darkness shrouded her vision.  
  
~*~  
  
Ken's finger hesitated on the play button of the recorder. For a moment he hoped he had asked Wormmon to stay with him. This wasn't something he wanted to face alone but somehow he felt he had no choice. The evening was beautiful and he longed to throw the little black gadget off the balcony and pretend it never existed, but the weariness and curiosity on his mind finally forced him to press the button.  
  
The tape turned and hissed for a few seconds, followed by sounds of soft breathing that indicated sleep, then his own voice filled the room.  
  
"I am the Digimon Emperor." A chill ran down his spine. "You heard me, pathetic loser, get on your knees and beg." The words were spoken so tonelessly that it sounded like a bored reading. It was as if he wasn't speaking them, but repeating them after been told. There was some more silence and words he couldn't make out but he figure they were similar to the previous ramblings.  
  
The tape was made the night before. Wormmon had stayed the night and informed him that he talked in his sleep, something he had never done before. He thought it was a one-time thing, until he bolted up straight in bed two nights ago, drenched in sweat with words about to burst out of his mouth. Then they disappeared, just like that, nothing left but a familiar feeling of dread.  
  
And so last night he placed the tape recorder by his pillow.  
  
As the tape turned he heard himself moan and draw deep breath. Then the muffled thrashing and turning began, as if someone was strangling him or suffocating him with a pillow. The sounds made him queasy.  
  
"No...." he heard himself gasp. Then suddenly the thrashing stopped, replaced by a voice that sounded like himself, but young, the way it was when Sam was still alive. "It's dark," the childish voice said. "I don't like the ocean. It's dark."  
  
It took two tries to hit the stop button with his shaky thumb.  
  
The feeling was like the return of a terrible disease. It had taken long enough to put the Dark Ocean behind him, but now it had come back to haunt his life again. After the peaceful year, he had chosen to believe it had finally released him from its grasp, that the Digimon Emperor was finally dead and buried.  
  
But when you bury something so deep within yourself, you can only bury it deeper.  
  
Suddenly he was surrounded by water. There was nothing else around him. His room had disappeared into a gray fog that forced itself into him. He struggled to scream as it entered his nose and mouth. Heart pounding with desperation, he felt his arms flail around and hitting the thickening air. It felt like cotton.  
  
Then it was gone. He was sprawled on the floor of his room, gasping for breath. Somehow blood had rushed to his head, making his vision blur. His fists were clenched so tight that his nails dug into his palms.  
  
This can't happen again, he told himself with more anger than he expected. This can't happen again. Evil is NOT going to come back into this world.  
  
He stood slowly, dimly aware that the look in his eyes probably resembled the early Digimon Emperor. There was anger, and fire, but also an element of doubt, just in case something didn't pan out. But this was not the time to second-guess.  
  
Wormmon was not around but he was not the one Ken wanted to talk to. There was someone else who tangled with the Dark Ocean and if anyone had already sensed the growing presence, it was her. Feeling dazed, he opened his room door and stepped into the hall. As he passed the kitchen, his mother looked up. Her expression told him he wasn't hiding his distress very well.  
  
"Ken honey, are you sick?"  
  
Muddling all his strength, he forced a smile. "I'm fine, mom."  
  
That didn't stop her from feeling his forehead. "You look pale. Are you sure?"  
  
Sighing, he pushed her hand away gently. "Really, I'm okay. I need to call a friend."  
  
He knew she was still watching him suspicious as she went back into the kitchen, but here was nothing he could do. Still rather unsure of himself, he picked up the living room phone and dialed Kari's number. It ran five times before someone picked up and the voice on the other end sounded almost as sickly as he felt.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hello, Tai? Um, it's Ken."  
  
"Ken? Hi, listen," there was some speaking in the background, "I really can't talk right now...."  
  
"That's okay, I wanted to talk to Kari. Is she there?"  
  
"That's the thing. Kari's sick."  
  
He started. "Sick?"  
  
"Yeah, I don't know what happened. Pneumonia, I guess. I came home and she already fainted on the floor. Gatomon was panicking because she couldn't move her onto the bed or something."  
  
"Is she okay?"  
  
"Don't know. Doctor's coming. She's talking in her sleep, says she's cold, which is weird because she feel warm. Is it important? I can tell her later."  
  
The receiving was shaking in his hand. "No, it's okay. I'll call back later. Hope she gets better. Thanks, Tai."  
  
Even long after the other line went dead, Ken didn't hang up. He wasn't aware of the dial tone ringing in his ear. Reality was beginning to sink in and he finally understood the phrase "the painful truth". It had already gotten to her somehow, through someway that he wasn't aware of. His worst nightmare had slipped right by whatever defenses the dimensional boundaries offered and claimed its first victim.  
  
Time was ticking by and someone had to know. After a second of consideration, he began to dial for Davis.  
  
The invisible lightning struck the back of his head without warning and though he knew well what it was the split second before it hit, there was no time to cry out before he collapsed, knocking the phone onto the floor.  
  
~*~  
  
Daemon grinned to himself underneath his hood. Directly hit, even across so many worlds. The light had weakened, at least momentarily, and that meant growth in his dark powers, and accuracy, too.  
  
"Boy Emperor," he hissed, "so sad."  
  
His henchmen and henchwoman loomed behind him and he could sense their pleasure at the boy's untimely fall.  
  
"Tsk, tsk, tsk," Ladydevimon said with amusement. "So close, yet so far."  
  
Daemon waved them close to him and once again accessed the energy channel to the real world. "It's time," he announced, "and what do you say we make the process.... slow?" Across space and black waters, he felt the first spore begin to unleash, the darkness inside wriggling lose.  
  
~*~  
  
Instead of hiding as he normally did when the sun rose, Myotismon emerged from the alley and faced the soft light. Warmth showered him as the brightness stroke his skin and hair. The heat still bothered him somewhat but the peacefulness made it bearable, almost enjoyable. He stretched remembered the night before.  
  
A dull ache was starting on his neck, around the scar that he had no thought about in days. He rubbed it in annoyance and wondered if the darn thing would ever heal.  
  
"Every time you look at me with those eyes, I will have to hurt you."  
  
Startled, he straightened and searched for the speaker. Silence greeted him in the quiet morning. Confusion had not even set in when the blinding pain brought him to his knees. One hand clutched at the base of his neck as words and images flooded his mind. He heard Putsy whine questioningly.  
  
Darkness. Cloak. Fear. Human blood always tastes better  
  
"....with a dash of fear in it." His mouth tasted metallic as he finished up the sentence. Something inside him was bleeding but he couldn't even wipe his lips as the pain struck again. Putsy nudged his face with worry.  
  
He saw a castle. It was gigantic, looming over a dark forest backed by black skies. Turning his head in this odd vision, he spotted many creatures coming to fro around the structure. A few passed him and he was not as surprised as he thought when their names came to him.  
  
Bakemon.  
  
Phantomon.  
  
Gatomon....  
  
He kept his eyes on the last one, a snow-white cat with long claws a look of determination in its eyes that reminded him of Kari. It didn't even glance at him as it passed, heading straight for the castle. On impulse, he followed it and quickly saw he wasn't the only one. Another creature dressed in a wizardry getup caught up with alongside the feline.  
  
Wizardmon.  
  
"What's your hurry?" he heard the Wizard speak and when the Gatomon's response came, he realized it was a female.  
  
"Never pays to hesitate when the boss has orders, wizard."  
  
"He always has orders."  
  
The cat broke into the run. "Which is why I never hesitate. And this time, it's big."  
  
"He never does do anything half way," the wizard replied as he too picked up the pace.  
  
Just as he was on the verge of realizing the identity of the "boss" which they spoke of, the castle vanished. He knelt on the cold ground, one hand supporting himself and the other still covering the scar. Sweat slid down his forehead, licked away by a nervous Putsy. He breathed deeply and patted the dog to reassure it that nothing was wrong, even though there was no one around to reassure himself of that.  
  
Through his puzzlement, he also sensed something else. It was the same feeling of distress that he felt on the day he found Kari. Except that time, he had felt her pain and fear. This time, he felt a chilling emptiness, as if she was fading, been pulled away from him by something invisible.  
  
Something was happening to both of them and he didn't know what it was. Making his way around the town, emerging into sunlight every now and then, he tried to piece together what he had just experienced with the present and found it difficult. There was still so much he didn't know.  
  
Perhaps something was happening because of them. Because of HIM.  
  
Memories were coming back to him but they were just out of reach, forcing him to dig deeper, search further no matter how much he did not want to. At the moment, he knew he had to reach Kari and make sure she was all right.  
  
There was another word he caught in his brief vision-digimon. He had no idea what it meant at the moment but he had a feeling he'd find out whether he cared to or not.  
  
~*~  
  
Kari wasn't sure if she was conscious or not. In the boundary between sleep and awareness, she heard a lot of voices around her, some from the outside, some from an unseen place within. She couldn't figure out which ones were from where.  
  
She about to fall-she knew that much. It felt like she was standing at the brim of a bottomless hole of ice and despair, and there was no one to hold her back. One more step and she would fall in, and never stop falling again, away from light.  
  
No, there was one voice.  
  
Though she could not gather enough strength to determine the identity of the presence, she knew it was another who had been to darkness and back. He was going to help her, pull her away from doom. But as she tried to reach out, the presence was suddenly gone, silenced by an outside force that wanted her to take another step forward.  
  
Darkness had flowed into her through him, trying to drown out the light that made her strong. They hate her strength, though she didn't know who "they" were, at least not yet. They hated light, and they hated her.  
  
And they used him.  
  
Everything sounded like nonsense to her burning mind but through her fever and sickness, Kari felt something else. There was change in the air, a sign of renewal, and it was coming from a most unexpected source.  
  
I need to make it through this, she thought through sweat and tears, I have to.  
  
~*~  
  
There was a small rumbled of gossiping and rumors when the boy genius Ken Ichijouji was rushed to the hospital at 7:30 p.m. No one knew what happened or how, and wild stories circulated all night.  
  
The hospital staff found nothing wrong with the boy, except for the fact that he had drawn deep into himself. He didn't blink when they snapped their fingers in front of his open eyes and he didn't react when spoken to. Even when shots were placed into his system to shock it into life, he didn't show signs of resistance or pain.  
  
A doctor commented that it was like something had blocked his senses out.  
  
Ken heard this.  
  
He could hear, and see dimly, but was unable to react because they had covered his mind in black fog. He was not to communicate with the rest of the world because he knew too much and that was risky to their plans.  
  
In his frustrated silence, he prayed that Kari would heal, because now she was the only one who could break the seal of darkness.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED....  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: okay, the title is supposed to be ironic but let me know if it doesn't feel right. 


	7. For the Love of the Eighth Child

Ch. 7 For the Love of the Eighth Child  
  
He hesitated at the foot of the apartment complex. It was midmorning and although Kari should be at school, his senses told him she was here, home alone.  
  
Almost.  
  
There was someone with her, but the smell of the other being was entirely different from humans. He smelled tension and weariness, human feelings, but it did not carry the scents of insecurity, petty fears, or ill will that most people carried with them. Thus far the only human he neared that lacked these scents was Kari, and even she had her occasional insecurities. Whoever this presence was, it bordered on supernatural.  
  
Reaching his senses up, he found her on the third, no fourth floor. No one was around (at least he hoped) to watch as he made the quick, soundless flight to her window. Regretfully, there was no balcony. But the concave of the wall allowed him to ease himself carefully into the shadow of the structure. Tentatively, he peered into the window.  
  
The first thing he saw almost caused him to fall.  
  
Kari was lying in bed, unmoving, seemingly asleep. That worried him, but did not catch his attention as much as the small figure sitting at her side. At first sight he thought it was merely a housecat, then he spotted its front paws. They were no ordinary appendages. Underneath perhaps, but the cat wore what seemed like large gloves modified for battle. They were each fitted with long blades that could easily tear a opposition apart.  
  
It also sat like a human, arms propped to the side. Its back was to him but somehow he was certain it could detect his presence if it wanted to. He could sense its worry and stress, most likely for Kari, though he did not know why it felt this way. It was close to Kari, he guessed, but how did she come about having an odd friend like this?  
  
Well, a little voice said in his head, she has a friend like you, doesn't she?  
  
He leaned in a little closer and studied the white cat. It turned to the side and he found himself looking into the bluest eyes he had ever seen. He felt mesmerized by them and at the same moment saw that this was the same creature from him vision. The white cat that never hesitated.  
  
And not only that.  
  
When he turned his gaze to the other side, away from the window, the town was no longer there. Instead, there was a wide room, filled with children and more odd creatures. Most of the children were crying, or drawn into a fetal position and whimpering. A few boys seemed angry and annoyed but it was easy to see that even they were shaken up.  
  
In the center of the room stood a man. He couldn't make out the face but it was plain to see there was a red mask covering the eyes. The two ends of the mask were shaped like bat wings. The man was wearing a blue, military- style uniform, prim and pressed, not a hair out of place. A black cape flowed menacingly every time a creature passed and brought a slight breeze. In one hand, he held the white cat by the scruff. It didn't look happy.  
  
I've seen this before, he thought wildly, I've seen this before I found Kari, but not like this.  
  
"Is this the eighth child?"  
  
The last two words struck him like a lightning bolt.  
  
"Little girl, why have you chosen to show yourself to me?"  
  
No.  
  
"Do you have any idea what's going to happen to you?"  
  
This time, he understood.  
  
"Gatomon, why won't you look at the eighth child's face?"  
  
Gatomon.  
  
Every time you look at me with those eyes, I will have to punish you.  
  
The air was filled with crying, talking, tears and fear and anger. But even above all the noise he could hear the little girl wearing the little scarf speak. She was stronger than all the rest but even she was afraid, afraid of the man who held the life of her friend.  
  
"Please don't hurt them. Please don't hurt Gatomon...."  
  
Her voice vanished along with the rest of the scene. It was quiet again and he was alone, drifting in the air. He turned back to the window again. Gatomon was still there, guarding her friend faithfully. He had a feeling that there was much more between those two than he would ever know.  
  
Kari turned over and he saw that her expression was pained. Usually he felt warmth whenever she was near but this time her presence was cold, and he was almost certain he knew why.  
  
"I've hurt you too much, Kari," he said softly, "I can't remember it all just yet, but now I know. You wouldn't tell me because I've hurt you too much."  
  
~*~  
  
She could feel his stink on her.  
  
Gatomon felt like she could sit still no more and began to pace, counting her steps as she took them. She was angry, worried, and frustrated all the same time. This wasn't supposed to happen. It wasn't!  
  
Somehow evil always triumphed. It wasn't fair but it was the truth. For some reason he was back and Wizardmon was still dead, drifting in another dimension along with her heart. She couldn't count the number of nights she spent wishing he would return to her, and yet the one she wanted to disappear most kept coming back.  
  
And this time, he didn't even target her. He went straight for Kari.  
  
He knew my weakness, she thought angrily, he knew this time and he just went for her. He knew she couldn't fight back, and he knew she was kind and that made her vulnerable. I wish he would die, but sadly he's done that too many times already.  
  
There was so much energy pent up in her that the room was beginning to feel like it was closing in. No one was home save for her and Kari. Tai had wanted to stay but his parents felt it wasn't good for him to worry himself over this too much. After much deliberation, he finally left for school. His mother left just a few minutes ago in a rather sad attempt to find more medicine for her daughter. Gatomon turned around and wondered whether she should move out for some air, too. Staying here was going to drive her crazy.  
  
A movement caught her eye. She was just about to ignore it when a familiar feeling struck her. With a quick dash she was on the windowsill gazing out.  
  
There was no one there, but she knew better than that. He was here, most likely to keep tabs on her and Kari. But this time around she was not going to let that happen. Determined, she pushed open the window and hopped out.  
  
I'll hunt him down before he hurts anyone else.  
  
She landed in a tree and made her way down to the ground, unaware of the blue eyes watching from the roof far above.  
  
~*~  
  
It was a shock to see Gatomon so aware of his presence, although he was certain she couldn't pinpoint his location precisely. He made sure she was well out of sight before floating down to Kari's window again. That was a little too close for his taste, although he wasn't certain what would happen if Gatomon had actually spotted him.  
  
What kind of monster am I?  
  
The window was a tight squeeze but he managed to slip inside without a sound and close it behind him. Kari was asleep across the room and unaware of him. For a moment he hesitated to approach her, in fear that he may do more damage than good.  
  
She didn't acknowledge him as he stood over her and watched her sleep. A moan escaped every now and then that gave him hope, but it always turned out to be nothing more than perhaps a dream. She was dreaming and it wasn't pleasant. He imagined it was her light trying to expel whatever dark substance he instilled in her.  
  
Her innocent beauty followed her even in her sickness and slumber. When they sat and spoke, her had always looked into her eyes and found her to be wise and stable beyond her age, but now, with her eyes closed, she was so young and vulnerable, as if made of painted glass.  
  
Careful not to disturb her, he sat down on the edge of her bed and gingerly wiped away the beads of sweat gathered on her forehead.  
  
"Next time don't get in my way."  
  
He wanted to shield himself from the brilliant light but could not feel his body. It was as if only his limbs had disappeared, leaving only his sight and hearing intact as the light began to disperse. He was outside, high above the ground, on top of the building perhaps. There were people around. Children. And creatures, too. They were all very silent.  
  
A small, stout figure slowly emerged. Its eyes were wide open in surprise and its cloth had been tattered and shredded. A triangular hat fell to the ground. It was the wizard.  
  
A few of the children were different from the others, he noticed. They were not afraid like the ones he had seen earlier. They were accompanied by a group of creatures, digimon, and their eyes were on him. The looks in them suddenly reminded him of Kari's warning about those who do not take kindly to beings like him.  
  
He tried without success to move as the wizard seemed to freeze in time for a second, then fell backward, hitting the ground limply.  
  
"Wizardmon!"  
  
It was the voice of the little girl with the scarf. The eighth child. She was closely followed by Gatomon. He saw them race to the wizard's side, talking to him, asking if he was all right although it was plain to see that he wasn't.  
  
Then the little girl began to cry. The sound was heartbreaking. Tears flowed not for fear and pain but loss. She didn't even wipe them away as they made their way down her cheeks.  
  
As she held her fallen friend, her eyes glanced up for a brief second and landed on him. The hatred and anger in them was so heavy that he was taken back. He wondered desperately that maybe he was viewing all this from the eyes of someone else. But in his heart there was denying that he was the one she hated, loathed. He could hear the words running through her mind.  
  
I hate you.  
  
His hand was still on her forehead.  
  
The wizard had disappeared, as had the little girl and Gatomon. Slowly, he moved his hand away from Kari and buried his own eyes in it. There was too much to know, and too much he did not want to accept.  
  
Some time passed before he looked at Kari again. Warmth and kindness radiated from her, but he could also feel the darkness weighing her down, pushing her deeper into herself. Something had to be done, and somehow he knew what it was.  
  
"Forgive me," he said softly, and leaned in toward her, praying that by chance he was doing everything right.  
  
~*~  
  
She was lost in a dream.  
  
When the darkness began to lift, she was certain she had dropped deeper into the valley between fantasy and reality. It was hard to see, but she could see him vaguely before her, and feel his kiss once again. She wanted to kiss him back but could find no strength. It was a mirage; she knew this as she relaxed into it, letting his cold lips massage hers.  
  
All too soon, it lifted and she sensed him standing to leave her side.  
  
"No...." she moaned and saw him stop through the fog in front of her eyes. "Stay with me."  
  
He hesitated. He'll stay, she thought blurrily, because this is a dream and I want him to stay.  
  
"Please."  
  
She was pleased to see that he did turn and sit back down by her, a little closer this time. It made her happy just to have him near. Who would've thought? Her mind asked. Mustering up an ounce of strength, she raised one hand to touch him, to see if the dream felt the same as real life, but she couldn't even reach him before weakness made her arm fall again.  
  
He caught her hand in his, and rubbed her fingers with his thumb gently. It felt real enough. The tip of her lip curled in a smile.  
  
"Forgive me."  
  
It didn't catch on right away. "For what?"  
  
He seemed to think about the question. "For being alive, I guess."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
Both his hands closed over hers. "I should go."  
  
"No."  
  
"No?"  
  
"I want you to stay." I also wish this were real, she thought sadly, I feel better. If this were real, it means I fought evil, and won.  
  
The clock on her wall sounded very loud in the quiet room. "I'm sorry about Wizardmon, for starters."  
  
"Wizardmon?"  
  
"The little wizard. I don't remember what happened entirely, but I hurt him, didn't I? And I hurt you. Because he was your friend."  
  
His hands felt good, cold but comforting. She curled her fingers around his and wondered what her answer should be if she was actually awake. Maybe he should know the truth. It's only a dream after all.  
  
"You didn't hurt him," she said softly. Unconsciously, she entwined her fingers around his other hand, playing with it absently. "You killed him. You were trying to kill me, and he got in the way. Saved me. Saved me and Gatomon. But that doesn't matter."  
  
He gave her an odd look. "Doesn't matter?"  
  
She nodded. "I've made my peace with it, and anyway, that was in the past. You're here now, and you're better."  
  
"What about Gatomon?"  
  
"What about her?"  
  
"Has she made her peace with it?"  
  
"Not as much." Sleepiness was taking over again, something she did now know could happen in dreams. Everything felt fuzzy, including him.  
  
"Does she hate me?"  
  
She yawned. "Yeah. Everybody did."  
  
"That bad?"  
  
Her eyelids felt heavy as she nodded. "Something like that."  
  
His voice sounded distant. "Did you?"  
  
"Mm-hmm." His hand still felt good on hers when she closed her eyes and nodded again slightly.  
  
She felt him stand. "I should go."  
  
"But I don't hate you anymore." It was getting hard to talk. "I love you."  
  
Even though it was a dream, she wished he had kissed her goodbye.  
  
~*~  
  
Tai found it very hard to sit still in class as the teacher droned on and on about something he couldn't care less about. Even though he knew if he didn't pay attention today he was sure to fail tomorrow's quiz, it was still difficult to concentrate. The thoughts scattered about his brain was like a broken picture waiting to be pieced together.  
  
It had started when Gatomon first came to him that day. As the teacher's voice became more and more garbled, his mind drifted back to that day....  
  
"Tai? Can I ask you something?"  
  
He hadn't planned on paying any serious attention to her. After all, there hadn't been much to worry about since their victory, which they still celebrated every chance possible. "Sure, what about?"  
  
"Do you think Kari's acting strange lately?"  
  
"If you mean after that thing with Don, I think she'll be okay about it." Merely thinking about it made his blood boil. "But I swear, if I ever see that guy again...."  
  
"A little too well."  
  
He gazed down at her. "What?"  
  
"I mean, she doesn't seem bothered by it at all. Isn't that strange?"  
  
"She's a tough kid."  
  
"I know, but...." Gatomon turned around and cast a quick glance at Kari's closed room door. "Do you get a chilly feeling around her?"  
  
"Kari? No way."  
  
"I don't mean like that. I mean cold. Aren't you cold when you're around her?"  
  
"That's just her room. She likes to keep the window open." He took a soda out of the fridge and popped it open. "Nothing wrong with that."  
  
The white cat sighed. "Maybe I'm just imagining things."  
  
"Probably. I think all that time you spent fighting has scrambled your brain."  
  
"Yeah, maybe." As she left, he noticed without a doubt that she did not believe that was the case....  
  
"Mr. Kamiya?" Tai snapped his head up and out of his trance. The teacher was looking right at him, one hand pulling his thick glasses down. "Are you still with us?"  
  
"Um, yes sir, of course," he stammered.  
  
"Good, perhaps you'd like to come proof this equation for us?"  
  
Walking up to the blackboard, half of Tai's mind was telling him that he was screwed for life, and the other half was telling him to forget about the stupid quiz because there were more urgent matters at hand. Gatomon knew that.  
  
And Ken knew that.  
  
He didn't know how he could be sure of that, but before he began to try his best at making up some plausible math answers, Tai had already decided on the bus he would take after school to Tomachi.  
  
~*~  
  
"Would this cute little face tell a fib Boss? After all you're Myotismon and I would be out of my mind to make you mad."  
  
"I'll give you one more chance. I will not be so benevolent the next time, do you understand?!"  
  
...  
  
"You foolish digidestined. The seven of you are no match for my power. Prepare for your ultimate destruction."  
  
...  
  
"Ah, darkness. The perfect cloak for my evil. Idea conditions for producing fear. Human blood always tastes better with a dash of fear in it."  
  
...  
  
"Those eyes, from the first time you looked at me with those eyes I knew you would turn against me and that is why I had to teach you by punishing you. I would have hurt you more but you became a good servant. I promise you that I will not be so easy on you this time."  
  
...  
  
"Before I crush you, I will give you the pleasure of watching me destroy your wizard friend first."  
  
...  
  
"Soon now not in fire or ice but in fog. This world will soon be mine."  
  
...  
  
"I still hear that voice in my nightmares! Myotismon!"  
  
...  
  
"No, master, please! I'm your faithful servant!"  
  
Too much. Too much.  
  
Sweat flowed into his wide-open eyes, stinging them. But he didn't wipe them away because his hands were clutching his head tightly, trying pathetically to make the voices stop. It would do no good, he knew, because with each passing moment he felt himself returning. His mind was divided, part of it welcoming the memories with dark glee, and the other fearing it and wanted to chase it out at all cost.  
  
Stumbling from one end of the alley to the other, he heard himself speak millions of words at once, all of them terrible and familiar. He took sick joy in the suffering faces in his mind though he knew Kari wouldn't want him to. But does that matter?  
  
She was the eighth child, his sworn enemy and guardian of light.  
  
And he was a dark prince of the night.  
  
And blood.  
  
"So I'm back," he growled through his glimmering fangs, "to finish what I started."  
  
~*~  
  
When she heard the deep, cruel laughter echoing into the sky, Gatomon felt every hair on her body stand up.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED.  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: just a note here. This story has taken an unexpected turn for me. I know that everyone probably expected Myo to regain his memory and start regretting his past, but I decided last minute that, well, that's just out of character. If he lost his memory and got it back, he would go back to been evil, just because that's him, plus the spores in him are working, too. Therefore, instead of having a new myo in love with Kari, it will be the old myo, evil as always, fighting his feelings for the one he hated. So this is gonna be a hard struggle for me to work with. Please bear with me. Thanks and R&R! 


	8. Save Me 2

Ch. 8 Save Me (2)  
  
Mrs. Ichijouji looked so pale when she opened the door that Tai immediately regretted disturbing her. However, he now knew more that ever that he had to speak to Ken, because her condition indicated more trouble than he expected.  
  
He bowed politely, keeping his anxiety in check. "Good afternoon, Mrs. Ichijouji. Is Ken home yet?"  
  
She studied him up and down and finally said, "oh, dear."  
  
Her words worried him. "What's the matter? Is something wrong?"  
  
"I guess you don't know."  
  
"Know what, Mrs. Ichijouji?"  
  
He saw weariness in her eyes as she turned away. "Ken's in the hospital."  
  
"What?!" Seeing her surprise, he cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to shout. Why is Ken in the hospital?"  
  
"We don't know."  
  
"Well, what did the doctors say?" There suddenly seemed to be a shortage on time.  
  
"They don't know either." Her voice was breaking as she raised one hand to hide her tears. "He just collapsed yesterday, and now he's not responding to anything. It was like he just cut off from the world."  
  
Tai started. "Yesterday?"  
  
"Yes," she answered between quiet sobs. "He was about to call someone and the next thing I knew he was on the floor. I thought he looked a little pale but I didn't think it was serious...."  
  
He called for Kari.  
  
Laying a comforting hand on Mrs. Ichijouji's shoulder, Tai decided he could not give up just yet. He had been through much tougher, stranger things than this. "I'm so sorry, Mrs. Ichijouji," he said softly. "Where is he now."  
  
"Tomachi General Hospital."  
  
"Is it all right if I go see him?"  
  
She smiled at him sadly. "That would be wonderful."  
  
He didn't have the heart to tell her what he thought this visit might lead to.  
  
~*~  
  
Myotismon flew high above the city. The people below looked like ants. There was a time when he enjoyed soaring above them, and cherishing the thought that he could crush them just as easily if they really were ants.  
  
He remembered now, remembered everything, and not only that it felt as if he had merely taken a break from his earlier work and was now returning to it. There was a world out there to conquer, one that was unaware of his rebirth and growing power. When this was done, there was the digital world, just waiting to be in his grasp again.  
  
Kari wouldn't like this.  
  
He landed gracefully on top of a skyscraper and gazed into the distance. That thought angered him. Why should he give up his destiny just because that child was dumb enough not to destroy him at first sight? Thinking of her made him laugh, at both her actions and his own.  
  
She had called me her friends, he thought with a sneer, what a joke. And I had been out of my mind enough to accept it.  
  
She would get in his way, he knew, because she had been in the way before and will be again. Her and that little pet of hers. Gatomon.  
  
I'm back, slave.  
  
Yes.... slave. He had plenty of those in the old days. But no matter, he would soon have new one, more powerful and better trained ones. Trained, of course, meant beaten deeper into submission. There would be no mistakes this time around. No one was aware of his presence yet and he planned to take advantage of this, starting with Kari.  
  
I love you.  
  
His heart had skipped a beat when she said those words, and now that fact annoyed him. Feelings, especially for another, were not something he was familiar with and he wanted to keep it that way. There is no way, he told himself, she was sick and delirious, and just like she said, she harbors nothing but hatred for me, and I for her.  
  
At this time she should be waking up. He had done his best to drain the black poison from her and her momentary consciousness indicated that she would recover. Although he regretted saving her now, he knew she was still no match for him.  
  
I will crush her like an ant, he thought with dark excitement, it will be more fun to watch her squirm.  
  
A pesky question suddenly hopped out. So why don't you do it now?  
  
"The time isn't right," he told nobody in particular.  
  
It's because you don't want to.  
  
"She will only get in the way."  
  
But you wouldn't hurt her, you promised.  
  
"Shut up." He shook himself mentally. I'm losing my mind.  
  
She let you drink from her, and don't forget she let you ki....  
  
"Soon," he cut off the other voice. "Soon I will get rid of her for the last time." Without waiting for a reply, he flew off from the rooftop, heading for town center.  
  
Now to find a decent meal.  
  
~*~  
  
Kari opened her eyes.  
  
The room was bright with the soft light of the setting sun. Her bed felt cool and comfortable beneath her but she could feel her pillow drying from what must have been her sweat. The open window sent a breath of fresh air toward her. Her head wasn't hurting anymore.  
  
Am I still dreaming?  
  
She raised her hands to her eyes. They no longer felt so weak as she flexed her fingers experimentally. The fog had gone from her eyes the rest of her senses felt visibly sharpened. She could hear the late birds singing outside and the shadows draping over everything in the room.  
  
She pushed herself up to a sitting position and leaned against the headboard of the bed. Her legs felt slightly numb when she drew them up, indicating that she hadn't moved in quite a while. As she waited for the pins and needles to go away, something else entered her mind.  
  
Was he really here?  
  
Of course not. It was a dream, and such a strange one, too. She chuckled to herself. How funny, I dreamed that he kissed me, and made me feel better.  
  
Yes, so funny, isn't it? It was starting to feel hot again. Great, back to normal, she thought with a sad smile. It was a slight challenge staying on her feet but she did feel stronger as she climbed off the bed and stood. She waited a moment for wooziness to come, but it didn't. Feeling more confident, she walked to the mirror and ran a comb through her rumpled hair.  
  
She was still dressed in the same outfit as the night before, and that made her think of him again. What happened in the alley still felt unreal, especially after her little daydream. Did I really like it that much? She asked herself. So much that I dreamed about it?  
  
I love you. She had told him that in the dream and somehow it just felt like the right thing to saw, but now, fully awake, she felt it might be more than that.  
  
In trouble or in love.  
  
Not in trouble, not anymore.  
  
So in love, then?  
  
Before she could answer the question, a small shape dashed into the room through the open window and almost didn't stop itself in time to avoid crashing into her. Kari gazed at the panting Gatomon with surprise.  
  
"Ka, Kari?" The small white cat gasped. "You're okay!"  
  
"Yes, I'm fine now." She knelt down to face her. "Are you?"  
  
Ignoring the question, Gatomon threw her arms around Kari. "I was so worried!"  
  
It felt good to hold a friend, but as Kari closed her arms around Gatomon, she felt the small digimon shaking. Even before she asked, her heart tensed at the anticipated answer. "Gatomon, what's wrong?"  
  
Gatomon pushed herself back, her eyes brimming with panic. "We have to find the others, now!"  
  
"Tell me what happened."  
  
The other sighed. "You're not going to believe this."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Myotismon, he's back."  
  
All the color must have drained from her face at once because Gatomon was staring at her intensely. Kari felt her mouth open, then close, desperate to say something, perhaps just keep the fact hidden a little longer, but no words came to her. Not a single one.  
  
"We have to tell the others, Kari," Gatomon said slowly, one word at a time as if to a child.  
  
"No." The word came out much harder than she had intended.  
  
The small cat started. "Kari?"  
  
Straining herself, she managed to soften her voice just enough. "No, Gatomon. We can't."  
  
A sense of shock darted from the other. "Why not?! He's back, Kari, I know it, if we don't do something, who knows what.."  
  
"Not yet, Gatomon." Her mind raced quickly, trying to think of something, anything. "That will make everyone panic, and we can't do that until we know for sure."  
  
Gatomon's eyes were wide as she pulled away from her. "But I do know for sure!" she exclaimed anxiously. "I could feel him! He's everywhere. And I even heard him!"  
  
Gingerly, Kari took her friend's paws and held them in a soothing touch. "You used to 'hear' him all the time, remember?"  
  
The excitement melted away slowly. ".. Yes."  
  
"And you were dreaming, weren't you?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"But sometimes it was so real that you thought you weren't. Isn't that right, Gatomon?"  
  
The sincerity in those large brown eyes made it hard to argue. "Yes."  
  
The lie tasted bitter on her tongue, but she was already waist deep in it and had no way back. "Don't worry about it. Take care of yourself. If he shows up, we can handle it, just like we have before."  
  
"But he made you sick."  
  
"That was a cold. And I'm fine now, aren't I? Let's not worry the others, ok?"  
  
There was no room for argument, that much was obvious. But although she knew that Kari was looking out for her every step of the way, Gatomon couldn't shake the feeling that her friend was hiding something, and that she had her own reasons behind that sweet, innocent smile.  
  
~*~  
  
The nurse at the desk wasn't very helpful and it had taken Tai twenty minutes roaming around the hospital looking for Ken's room. Finally, he was able to find it in a corner on the second floor. Despite the fact that visiting hours ended while he was still searching, he went in and close the door behind him.  
  
The room was eerily quiet and made his nerves crawl. Everything was white and bare but somehow still gave him the feeling of uncleanness. Standing out in all the white was Ken's jet-black hair. Even his complexion was pale enough to match the sheets. His eyes were half open, as if sleepy but not quite enough to drift off, as was his lips, slightly parted. A monitor was hooked up to him, and possibly measuring his breathing or heartbeat. He wasn't blinking.  
  
Cautiously, Tai took a step toward the bed, trying to keep quiet, although from what he could see, Ken wasn't aware of much. But some soon as he his foot struck the floor, Ken suddenly twitched and turned, as if with great effort, toward him. He seemed to see right through him but something about his eyes told Tai that there was a working mind behind the empty gaze.  
  
"Ken? It's Tai. Can you hear me, buddy?"  
  
For a moment there was no response. Then Ken drew a soft breath and began to move his lips in an attempt to speak. The words were light but surprisingly clear.  
  
"He. help."  
  
With a single step, Tai was at the beside, kneeling on the floor close to Ken. "What's wrong, Ken? What's going on?"  
  
"He."  
  
"You need help? How?" Heart pounding, he managed quiet down and listen again.  
  
".no."  
  
"Tell me how I can help, Ken."  
  
"Help. er."  
  
Tai rolled the words in his head. "Help. help HER?"  
  
A slight nod.  
  
"Who?"  
  
Ken opened his mouth, then stopped. Then, slowly, he moved his hand and began to draw patterns on his sheets. Tai did not know this, but it took great pain to fight against the forces that tried to shut him away from the world. He drew out the letters on his sheet, before Tai's horrified eyes.  
  
K A R I  
  
~*~  
  
He waited for her in the alley as usual, just a little early this time. Although he wasn't sure why, he was eager for her to show up. As darkness drew near, he began to feel like his old self-strong, cunning, powerful, and no hesitations. His fangs had extended slightly, a normal phenomenon when he was excited or provoked. He ran his tongue around them, anticipating the delicious bite they would soon enjoy. The mutt wasn't here, but perhaps later he would go find it and bring it back, to their meeting spot, for dessert.  
  
She would be here soon, and she was the only one he was interested in, he decided that this afternoon. The city was filled with potential victims, easy prey, but only she was worthy of been his first meal. The others of the real world were weak, and bland to the taste. Compared to them - heck, even without them as comparison - she was something very special indeed. Her energy would make an excellent, and way overdue, addition to his own. Her blood, a rare treat.  
  
It will taste just as good as the first time.  
  
The voice was back, and it sounded more and more like his own. It truly annoyed him to argue with himself, but he was certain that, with time, it would pass. The eighth child had done this to him, created doubt in his mind, and he would have his way with her soon, and he would be sure to make it slow.  
  
And when that was done, he would get her little cat, too, just like he had meant to all along. It was hard to believe so many years had gone by, but that didn't matter, because he was the prince of darkness, the lord of evil, and he had been handed a perfect opportunity.  
  
I love you.  
  
Foolish child.  
  
He chuckled to himself as he remembered her silly words. She probably didn't even remember them anymore, been so delirious from her sickness. It was a regret that he had not regained his memory sooner, and taken the chance to finish her off in her moment of weakness, but that didn't matter either.  
  
She would be here soon.  
  
And so he waited for her, patiently but hard to contain his excitement. His destiny was finally to be fulfilled. Once he took his sweet time to drain her dry, his power would be strong enough for him to return to the digital world and reclaim his rightful place as king.  
  
Yet, somehow, the early stars reminded him of the shining specks in her eyes.  
  
He sighed without realizing he did. Deep down, he knew that no matter how much fun this was, it was not going to be easy.  
  
~*~  
  
Daemon frowned at the resistance he felt. It was not extremely difficult to keep it repressed, but he had not expected this much disagreement from Myotismon's subconscious. The darkness of the spores was spreading slowly, bending his will, but there was still reluctance toward the mission.  
  
His henchmen were near and despite their curiosity, they said nothing, for they knew it would only earn them a thrashing.  
  
Things were going well, he supposed, but not as well as he had expected. No matter how hard he tried to feed Myotismon's hatred, something still remained that stood in his way, and the fact that he did not know what it was angered him greatly.  
  
And Myotismon was not his only trouble. The boy emperor was fighting.  
  
He had to put his pawn to work, and fast, because that irritating child had already revealed too much. The forces he used to suppress the boy's will were strong as ever, but he just kept resisting, pushing it all back just enough to put a dent in his plans. At certain points of the battle he even received faint mental messages from the kid, telling him exactly how much he sucked. It amused him, but also bothered him that the opponent was so young, yet so stubborn and strong-willed.  
  
Fortunately, this struggle didn't have to go on much longer. The guardian of light was due to meet his assassin any time now, and once she was out of the way, there would be nothing to stop his powers from growing. He would crush the boy emperor's mind with a single blow and unleash his minions on the real world. They would have all the fun they desired, including Myotismon as a chew toy if they so desired. The digidestined would cower before them and beg for mercy. He would watch them quiver with delight, and then prolong their suffering until they plead death.  
  
All is not lost. In fact, it's just the opposite. Destiny was at hand he was ready to reach out and seize it in his grasp.  
  
Time ticked away in the realm of the black sea.  
  
Tick tock.  
  
Tick tock. 


	9. Enter the Darkness

Ch. 9 Enter the Darkness  
  
She didn't know how she knew, but he would be there. For her, it was a fact. Some kind of unseen bond had been formed between them. Perhaps it had always been there, ever since they first met, but never surfaced. Well, maybe it had. He always managed to find her somehow, didn't he? Didn't matter whether the result was good or bad, he always found her.  
  
And so, as the sun set slowly in the crimson horizon, she knew he would be there, waiting for her.  
  
There were too many feelings running around inside her, most of which confused her but a small portion made her happy, and just a bit confident. She had done something right, and that was a fact, too.  
  
A chill in the air made her shudder as she approached their usual meeting place. It felt a bit stronger than usual, but that was surely her imagination. She was getting used to his cold surrounding, and was certain that with time, it would fade, just like the evil that was once in him.  
  
She hoped it would happen fast, because their secret had come too close to been discovered. It would be revealed soon, of course, once it's all.. settled. Then it would be over, out in the open, and she would miss it.  
  
Miss what?  
  
She had no idea, but she would miss something, something with him. It was an odd idea, but she sort of liked having him to herself, almost like an imaginary friend, but better. He was good to talk to. He was straightforward and honest, with nothing to hide and no emotions to feign. And his eyes were so deep.  
  
Feeling her cheeks burn, Kari quickly turned her thoughts to her goal for the visit. He had to be warned, because she could only keep Gatomon silent for so long. Should this leak out early, it could only end in disaster.  
  
And then he wouldn't kiss you anymore, her mind whispered gently, and he's so good at it.  
  
~*~  
  
Her footsteps were audible long before her shadow appeared in sight. He counted them as if they were the beats of a metronome, one after another, so even and perfect. In a way, it was also a countdown, one leading to a new age with him at the reign.  
  
Going to finish what I started.  
  
It was hard to keep himself in check as she stepped into the alley. From her posture and scent, he could tell she was slightly anxious and nervous, but no insecurities-she believed there was no danger around him, a mistake to his eyes. The last of the sunlight was vanishing. Darkness was the perfect cloak for his evil.  
  
The first thing she did was smile at him. A slight jolt burst through his nerves as she did so, like been shocked by electricity. He did his best to ignore it and smile back as he got to his feet.  
  
"Hi," she said cheerily, stopping in front of him.  
  
He nodded gentlemanly. "Good to see you, Kari," he said smoothly, "how are you this evening?"  
  
There was a second of surprise on her face, perhaps because she was so used to his dumbfound, secluded manner, before his memory was, thankfully, returned to him. "I'm, I'm fine," she stammered awkwardly, "How are you?"  
  
"Good." He kept the smile up. It was fun to watch her squirm ever so slightly in the mind game, and he couldn't help but notice she looked rather endearing doing it. "Very good." He patted the space next to him. "Have a seat."  
  
She did, quite closely to him, too. The fresh smell of lilies drifted from her every pore. Unconsciously, he leaned a little close and breathed her in, all of her. It tingled his senses, and he reminded himself how much better the scent of her blood would be.  
  
"Why are you looking at me like that?"  
  
He jerked back a little too suddenly. She was looking up at him, all of her innocent glimmering in those bright eyes. "What?"  
  
"You were looking at me kind of strangely," she said it the way a child would state that the sky is blue. "Is there something on my face?"  
  
He shook his head, a little amazed that she suspected nothing. "No, nothing."  
  
She giggled melodically and was quiet for a moment. "I have to tell you something," she said finally, "you have to be more careful from now on."  
  
Even though he already knew very well what she was talking about, he let on nothing. "Why is that?"  
  
"Do you remember me telling you that there are people who do not take kindly to you?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
It was not hard to see her stress and unease about the subject. "They may have found out that you're around."  
  
He laughed softly. "I'm that unpopular, am I?"  
  
She said nothing but leaned forward and rested her arm on one up-bent knee. The posture exposed her slender neck to him. He itched to sink his claws and teeth into the silky skin, to draw blood from it. But something was stopping him, sort of an idea that it would be a shame to ruin a thing of beauty.  
  
The two little red marks were still there, perfectly round and evenly spaced. She didn't seem bothered by it at all. On anymore else, they were just bite marks. On her, they resembled precious jewels of embroidery. He didn't want to think of it, but it was hard not to.  
  
She must have noticed him studying them. With a wry smile, she reached up with her other hand and touched the scars. "Don't worry," she told him, "it doesn't hurt. I'm sure they'll go away soon. Didn't think they were so noticeable."  
  
"They're not," he said without thinking, "I didn't even notice them this morning."  
  
She looked at him. "This morning?"  
  
He mentally bashed himself for the slip of tongue. Trying desperately to think up an explanation, he came up with nothing. She was still looking at him questioningly, waiting and doing some thinking of her own.  
  
It won't matter, his old self said coldly, she won't live to see tomorrow. What does it matter that she knew you paid her a little visit today?  
  
He cleared him throat. "You don't remember?"  
  
Her eyes widened visibly. "You were there."  
  
For some reason, he was nervous. "Yes."  
  
"I wasn't dreaming."  
  
"Not unless you dreamed about me after I left."  
  
She shook her head. "I can't tell. I was so sick.."  
  
"I know."  
  
Flustered, she rubbed her face with one hand, as if trying to clear up her mind. "So it was you. I thought I dreamed everything."  
  
What a fool, he chuckled to himself.  
  
"Myo-san?"  
  
Another jolt of electricity. It felt delightful, everything she called him that. So very endearing, just like her. He shook himself of those thoughts. "Yeah?"  
  
"What did I say to you?"  
  
All at once it came to him. Get her now, his head screamed, take care of her and stop wasting time! But he felt paralyzed, looking at her lovely face. "Nothing much."  
  
She seemed a little disappointed, but also relieved. "Really?"  
  
He nodded.  
  
Something occurred to her. "Did you help me?"  
  
There was no point in denying, so he merely nodded again.  
  
She laid one hand on his arm. He looked at the delicate fingers and once again the voice in him urged him to seize them and break her in half, but this time he hushed it with less trouble. "I knew it," she said softly, "thank you. I knew you'd help me. Thank you so much."  
  
What she did next quieted all the bloodthirstiness in him. Scooting just a tad closer, she laid her head against him, still holding his arm, and just sat quietly by him. She felt very warm and soothing. The sensation was much better than anything and everything darkness had to offer. His mouth felt dry and heat flooded his senses.  
  
She didn't resist as he pulled her close and kissed her. This time, there was no hesitation from either side. Under the moonlight, they held on tightly and drank from each other. Her eyes were closed and her body was shaking, but she poured her passion into it just the same. He felt the conflict inside but it didn't matter. Nothing did. Nothing mattered but her, and those lips that tasted so sweet.  
  
I hate myself, he thought vaguely, I hate myself because I've gone and fallen in love with you.  
  
~*~  
  
He ran all the way to the bus stop, then stood in the aisle even though there were plenty of seats available. His legs were too restless to sit and the same scene kept playing in his head over and over again, haunting him. It was like reliving a nightmare, one which he had thought was long gone.  
  
When the bus stopped, he was already the first one standing by the door, and he was out before it even opened fully.  
  
He broke into another run after two steps, pumping his legs as fast as he could and ignoring the burning in his lung as houses passed him in a blur. It was getting late, maybe too late, and the unpleasant chill in the air only made him more irritable than ever. A few people cast him suspicious glances. He couldn't care less.  
  
By the time his home came into view, he was already panting in exhaustion. Taking a second to recompose himself, Ken's face drifted into his mind again. He saw Ken's hand once again, moving on the sheets with such effort, spelling out the simple message that said more than a million words.  
  
KARI  
  
Suddenly, he was back. Back again on the top of the television tower. Back to looking at Myotismon's triumphant sneer from a distance, knowing his little sister was in danger but had no way of protecting her. Then he saw her, so small and innocent, holding the crest of light. He remembered thinking that he couldn't allow this to happen, couldn't allow her to be brought into something so dangerous. But it wasn't his choice to make, because destiny had chosen her, the same way it had chosen every single one of them.  
  
I have to protect her, he told himself, I'm going to. Myotismon will not have her again.  
  
His mind was in a jumble as he raced up the stairs, and when he pushed open the door to his home, words simply didn't come to him. He knew he must have been a ghastly sight, standing there breathing hard with his face flushed and eyes barely focused.  
  
But one look on Gatomon's face told him that she already knew.  
  
~*~  
  
This time, it lasted a lot longer, even though it felt too short for both of them. When they finally parted, he didn't let her go, and she didn't pull away as he wrapped his arms around her tightly and pressed her against his chest. She sat on his lap quietly, picking absently at his cloth with one hand. There was still conflicting feelings in her, he knew that because there was also many uncertainties in him. But he was beginning to wonder that, maybe with time, they will fade. Neither of them spoke and the silence was soothing.  
  
"Myo-san?"  
  
His throat felt dry and there was an odd itching in his heart. He hated feeling like this but at the same time wouldn't trade it for the world. Heck, he wouldn't trade it for both worlds, because they seems so distant and insignificant now. His old self would draw blood from him for thinking like this, but then again, his old self was also too far out of reach at the moment.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I'm happy."  
  
I hate her.  
  
I hate that I love her so much.  
  
He brushed her cheek with one hand. Her hair smelled so good. "So am I." And he was, something that he would never have so openly admitted in the past.  
  
A sigh came from her.  
  
"What's the matter?"  
  
She looked up at him for a second and he saw the weariness in her eyes. It seemed like she was on the verge of saying something, but swallowed it and replaced it with a thin smile. There always seemed to be a thread of sadness in her smiles, but it did nothing to damage her beauty. "It's nothing," she relied softly. "I guess I'm just tired."  
  
He pulled her upward slightly and kissed her forehead. "It's early." But he knew it wasn't, not for her.  
  
Adjusting herself, she faced him and ran one hand along his neckline. For a moment it lingered on the ridge extending half way out of his collar. She focused on it for such a long time that it was starting to make him paranoid.  
  
"How did you get this?"  
  
Removing one hand from her and tracing it along the scar himself, he came up with no answers. "I don't really know."  
  
She was still studying it. "You didn't have this before."  
  
"Before?"  
  
"Before..well, this."  
  
He chuckled lightly. "In the past life, you mean."  
  
A nod. "Yeah, I guess so." Again, something else was on the tip of her tongue but didn't make it out. She leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek. Almost playfully, he turned at the last second and caught her on the lips. There was a bit of surprise on her face, but she giggled, and it sounded like music to his ears. "I should go."  
  
Letting go was hard as she pushed herself off of him, but to his delight, she didn't leave right away. Instead, she stood there, one hand still in his. He rubbed her fingers lovingly and smiled. "Tomorrow, then?"  
  
"Tomorrow." Her hand slid out of his grasp and his arm stayed raised slightly, reaching toward her as she walked out of the alley, stopping at the end to wave back to him. It may have been his imagination, but there seemed to be a trail of stardust behind her.  
  
Long after she was out of sight, he sat there and gazed at the moon. It reminded him of her-pure, simple, beautiful, and full of light that illuminated darkness that would otherwise be dreadful and hopeless. The voice inside from the past still argued, but it was getting weaker by the minute and he wanted nothing short of blocking it out permanently. There had once been blood thirst, rage, and the lust for power, but now she stood before all that and forgave him. He didn't regret his past, but his present was going to be different.  
  
This struck him as funny. It was hilarious in a black humor sort of way. And he laughed, first softly then out loud. Then was no more malice in it because he could feel none. This was ridiculous, and he liked it.  
  
~*~  
  
Rage erupted from the depth of the Dark Ocean. Waves churned angrily. The once-proud soldiers of doom cowered back at their leader's outburst. When it subsided, Daemon was standing with his back to the corp. Skullsatamon and Marinedevimon stood in ghastly silence, not moving a muscle. Just to their side, sitting in the corner with her black wings withdrawn tightly against her body was Ladydevimon. She was in pain, just like her comrades, from the explosion of energy radiating out of the crevasses of the dimensions. It was a mixture of light and dark that wasn't meant to be, and it stun their senses like a thousand sickly yellow wasps. A soft moan escaped her.  
  
Daemon turned to face his corps. They regarded him apprehensively. His voice was eerily steady, and almost cold enough to freeze their nerves.  
  
"The time has come."  
  
The corps was silent. A single wrong word could be fatal.  
  
"Are you prepared, my soldiers?" He hissed.  
  
Another moment passed before Ladydevimon rose hesitantly to her feet. She had caught on. One way or another, she had caught on. She was the first to understand what her master was speaking of. Like a elegant lady, she bowed deeply.  
  
"Yes, my lord."  
  
Skullsatamon and Marinedevimon watched her, slightly confused. But then she turned to them, a devious sneer on her face, and winked slyly. There was excitement in her eyes, and they, too, understood. The time had truly come.  
  
In the darkness, the four pillars of evil stood in a rough circle. They were still, still enough to hear the soft breathing of each of them, and the swishing movement of Ladydevimon's snow white locks. They channeled their powers and focused on a being far away, and yet so close. They connected with him, and began to search, to probe, to awaken the deepest blackness and hatred.  
  
Someone was not going to come out of this alive, but either way, evil will end up on top.  
  
~*~  
  
Kari's hand stopped on the doorknob. A foreboding feeling had suddenly come over her, drowning out the jubilance she had felt just a minute ago. It was like someone suddenly pulled at a string whose one end was buried deep in her heart. Her fingers quivered as she studied the thin line of light seeping out from underneath the door. Someone was home, and whoever it was had been waiting for her.  
  
Her parents weren't home. They had told her earlier where they had went, but she had been too distracted to remember. That meant it had to be Tai.  
  
No, someone else, too. It was hard to explain how she knew but for some reason she was convinced that she was outnumbered. It was a sense of pressure that seized her, the pressure of the inevitable.  
  
Taking a deep breath, she grabbed the knob and twisted. The door slid open with a soft creak.  
  
Tai was stood up at the sight of her. There was only one lamp on in the dim living room. He looked worn and pale in the soft light. The look he gave her was a glare, but she knew him well enough to know that he only glared at her when he was concerned to a quite critical point. This unnerved her greatly. Sitting on the floor was Gatomon, and she had the same look in her eyes, but there was also a sense of fear about her.  
  
Kari stood in the doorway, one hand still holding it open. The three of them simply looked at each other for a long minute. Then Tai spoke up.  
  
"Where have you been, Kari?"  
  
The door slid away from her and slammed shut loud enough to make her wince slightly. "I was out, Tai."  
  
He sighed. "I know you were out, but where were you?"  
  
Gatomon had approached her and was sniffing at her cloth carefully. All of a sudden she felt like a criminal under investigation. Trying to keep them from been any more suspicious, she hardened her voice and said, "Just out. You don't tell me everywhere you go."  
  
Seeing she was upset, he spoke more gently. "Kari, please," he pleaded, "this is important."  
  
"Why is it so important where I go? It's not even that late."  
  
"Look, Kari.."  
  
A soft growl came from beneath. She looked down to see Gatomon, with her ears drawn back and teeth bared, pulled away from her slowly.  
  
"I can smell him," the white cat hissed. "His smell is all over you." Large blue eyes gaze upward. Kari could almost see a hint of accusation in them. "Did he find you, Kari? Did he hurt you?"  
  
Did you let him touch you, Kari?  
  
Ice. She could see ice. It was everywhere at once. Tai and Gatomon were still there, but to her eyes they were covered in ice. The whole room seemed to frost over. It was the hole again, the bottomless pit of ice and despair. It was more than a dream, and there was no one to pull her out. It was too late.  
  
And it hurt.  
  
Tai was calling her name, and when she opened her eyes again, the ice was gone and she was slumped over limply in his arms. He felt warm, safe. Guilt gnawed at her mind, criticizing her for not telling him the truth. She threw her arms around him and he held her tightly.  
  
"I'll tell you, Tai," she whispered softly, her voice muffled by his cloth. "I'll tell you everything."  
  
Because it was time, and she couldn't do it alone.  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: my head hurts.. Ok, the story just keeps getting longer but that's okay since the plot is turning out to be basically intact. I been doing too many things and this story is the focal point of my writing right now and I just wanna finish it and make it good. Wish me luck!  
  
DR 


	10. Memories of You

Ch. 10 Memories of You  
  
As night grew deeper, he began to feel sleep seeping into his body. It was an odd feeling, because he did not sleep often and have never considered it to be something of importance. In the past he had meditated, drifting in and out inside the coffin deep within his castle. The first few days back in existence, he had slept during the daylight, but now that he's back to his old form, slumber seemed a trivial matter. Moreover, he felt that he had energy to spare, to roam the night and prowl in the moonlight.  
  
And dream of his sweet princess of light.  
  
But at the moment, somehow, he was tired, and the scar on his neck was bothering him. Irritated, he scratched it with his right hand, not bothering if he should break it off and draw blood. Some part of him began to wonder why it still had not healed as sleep shook him again. There was a sense of pleasure in it, like a taste of bitter wine. It was peaceful. Why not, a voice whispered. Go to sleep, there's nothing else going on, no rush. Go to sleep, dream about her.  
  
A small smile tipped his lips as he dozed off into a quiet sleep. It felt good, and after a while, she did come. He saw her stand before him and smile tenderly. But her image was a blur. So much light radiated from her that he wanted to shield his eyes. Still smiling, she spread her arms and waited for him to come to her. He did. Without hesitation, he reached for her.  
  
And drew back at the pain.  
  
He looked up. She was still there, smiling, reaching out. But as soon as he neared her, thousands of invisible needles shot through him and the agony was horrid. Confused, he took a closer look at her and moved forward again. This time he electricity seize him and throw him backward. An unseen shield was between them, keeping them apart.  
  
And yet, she still stood there, smiling at him. It was almost like she was mocking him, luring him forward and then pushing him back. She liked to watch him suffer in frustration time after time, standing there with a saccharine grin on her face. It was then he noticed the world around them. There was a line on the ground, dividing it in half. Her side was filled with brightness while his was too dark for words. No matter how he tried, or how she pleaded, he could not cross the line, and neither could her.  
  
It's forever, someone said quietly. It's eternity.  
  
He looked up. Directly above the line, half in light and half in darkness, was a red mask. It was staring down at him, the wing-shapes on its side made it look like a bloody bat.  
  
No one crosses the line, it told him. Not you, not her.  
  
"Go away," he snarled at it. It came out much weaker than he had intended.  
  
The mask spun around and pointed its "face" at the girl on the other side. She was starting to look like a statue, unmoving in a world that he will never be a part of.  
  
It's not meant to be, the mask said calmly. Look at her, look at you. She doesn't want you and you know it.  
  
The words stun.  
  
You're not of her kind, the ghostly shape continued. She's deceiving you, the little temptress. She's deceiving you because she's afraid of you. Why not give her something to be afraid of?  
  
Close to the edge. That was how he felt standing there in a dream world-so close to the edge. They were trying to push him over.  
  
But who are "they"?  
  
Her gentle voice drifted into his mind. "I love you," she had said. I love you..  
  
LIES!! The mask roared. SHE LIES! WHY WOULD SHE LOVE YOU?! SHE'S DECEIVING YOU!! SOON SHE WILL BRING YOU TO YOUR KNEES, AND BY THEN IT WILL BE TOO LATE!!  
  
He looked at her again. The smile, the bright eyes. It was beginning to look sickening, all that light.  
  
Will you let that happen? The red ghost asked calmly.  
  
"No."  
  
WILL YOU LET THAT HAPPEN?!! The shout was deafening and the line that divided the two worlds seemed to quiver under its force. WILL YOU?!  
  
"NO!"  
  
The alley was quiet safe for the echoing of his own voice. For a moment he didn't know where he was or what had happened. Slowly, it came back to him and a sneer cracked his face. There was a faint purple fog in the alley, drifting lazily like sleepy rattle snakes all around him. He moved to stand and felt his hand land on something. It was a red mask, and it was still a good fit.  
  
"I'm coming for you, eighth child," he hissed into the night. "We're going to finish our game, and this time, I play to win."  
  
~*~  
  
The way Tai and Gatomon regarded her made the guild worse. She would have felt better if they got upset, or even yelled at her, but there was only weary silence. Kari sat quietly on the couch with her head down. Tai was leaning against the kitchen counter, staring into space. Gatomon paced the living room back and forth, her nails struck the floor with soft clicks.  
  
She had told them the story, but not everything. Certain things she left out, because those were things that somehow got too complicated to explain. They wouldn't understand. If this turned out okay, maybe she would tell them. Maybe then she would tell everybody.  
  
Her brother and partner said nothing as she let her own words flow out. Now there was only silence.  
  
"Say something, Tai," she begged, holding back tears. "Please say something."  
  
He didn't look at her. "What can I say, Kari?"  
  
She had no answer. "Gatomon?"  
  
The small digimon stopped pacing and looked at her. She looked disappointed, and that hurt Kari more than anything else. "How can you trust him?"  
  
"I don't know. He's different now."  
  
"He's Myostismon!" Tai cried, a little too loudly. "He tried to hurt you! He tried to hurt all of us! How can you forget?"  
  
"I didn't forget!" The words came out much stronger than she felt. "That's why I wanted to help him, Tai. I think he deserves a second chance." She looked at Gatomon. "Wizardmon would give him a second chance."  
  
It was a bit of a dirty trick, but she could think of no other way to appeal to Gatomon's weak spot. It was true, Wizardmon would have given his own murderer a second chance, just because he was kind. He was the one who led them to Ken's redemption, and if he were here, he would do it again.  
  
Gatomon nodded sadly. "I guess so."  
  
Kari turned back to Tai again. "Will Ken be all right?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"What do we do now?"  
  
Her brother thought it over. "We find him."  
  
An alarm went off inside her. "What?"  
  
"We find Myotismon. Us, and the other digidestined. We meet him, and we talk to him, and we stay on our guard."  
  
She opened her mouth, but closed it again when nothing came out. Of course, that was the reasonable thing to do, isn't it? She sighed. "Just.. Promise you won't be haste."  
  
"Are you defending him, Kari?" Gatomon asked softly.  
  
No answers came but they all knew it without it been spoken. She had made things fairly clear. However twisted the situation was, she had come to be attached to her former enemy in an unexplainable way.  
  
"I won't be haste," Tai said, thought there was hesitation in his voice.  
  
Gatomon paused. "I won't either."  
  
Kari smiled wanly. "Okay, then," she said slowly. "We'll go find him tomorrow. Just you and me and Tai. You'll see that he's all right, and then we can tell the others."  
  
"Fine," Tai replied stiffly.  
  
"Trust me, big brother."  
  
That was what she called him whenever she wanted something her way. When she was young, it was to charm him into giving her treats or playthings. As she grew older, she used the phrase whenever she was in need of comfort or trust, like now. Tai looked at his little sister and knew distinctly in his heart that if something were to happen to her, he wouldn't be able to handle it.  
  
If something happens, he thought to himself, I'm going to yell at her, for been so naïve, and then I'm going to kill him.  
  
~*~  
  
The final phase was in progress and all that was left was the waiting game. The snags they hit had been easily disposed of and their pawn was on the move. Daemon settle back into meditation and awaited the upcoming triumph. His corps was resting, conserving their energy. A slightly ignorant person would have thought they were deep in slumber in the corners of the hideout, but if approached, they could wake and gut a man in under two seconds. They were alert, and they were ready.  
  
It was so close now, because soon the little angel would lose her wings, and it would not be a painless process-their toy would see to that.  
  
Blood. Blood tastes so good.  
  
Time passed slowly in the dark ocean. It was almost unbearable for those wanting it to pass quickly, but they could take it, because they had something worth waiting for. And so they rest silently, counting the second passing by.  
  
Tick tock..  
  
Tick tock..  
  
~*~  
  
Sleep did not come to Kari.  
  
Seemed she had passed too many sleepless nights lately, and she was quite certain that Tai was awake also, just a wall away, thinking what a fool she was. Gatomon had gone to the digital world, prowling restlessly. Somehow, this had turned out to be a big night for them all, and tomorrow had unwittingly turned into a big day.  
  
What do I say to them? She asked herself repeatedly. What do I say to HIM?  
  
Something tapped on her window. For a moment she thought she saw a shape, but it was just a tree blowing in the wind. Settling down again, she felt the faint heat in her body. Since their first kiss, it had faded gradually, and it felt good. She had not glowed, either, in many nights. For that she was grateful to him.  
  
Another tap. She ignored it and tried to sleep.  
  
Every time her eyes closed, his face appeared. First as a menace, the way she saw him years ago, and then gentle, the way he was when he last held her against his chest. He still didn't remember who he was and she supposed that was a good thing.  
  
Tap tap..  
  
The tree was really going at it. Annoyed, Kari sat up and took a closer look at the window. The shadow from the tree was hovering like a phantom. She considered opening the window and breaking the branch off.  
  
Then she remembered she was on the fourth floor.  
  
With a gush of chilling wind the window burst open. A small shriek managed to escape her before an invisible force choked her off. Through the thick and gray fog she saw a figure enter the room. It was tall and slim, dressed in an impeccably pressed blue uniform. A black cape bellowed menacingly behind it.  
  
Horror welled up in her but something slammed into her and she found herself held down on the bed. Something was holding her hands above her head and her legs straight out. The figure stopped by her bed and she saw the red mask over its face.  
  
Nightmare, her mind screamed. This is a nightmare!  
  
He sat down by her and simply studied her scantily clad body without a sound. Her lungs hurt from harsh breathing and suppressed screams. I don't want the lights to come on, she thought incoherently, I don't want to see his face.  
  
With one gloved hand, he brushed away the sweat on her brows.  
  
"Are you scared?"  
  
Her mouth felt dry.  
  
"You always scared easy."  
  
"Myo-san.. How?"  
  
He shushed her with one finger pressed gently over her lips. "Don't call me that," he whispered eerily. "You know my name."  
  
She swallowed. "Myotismon."  
  
He struck her across the face, hard enough to snap her neck to one side painfully and nearly deafen her ear. It hurt, but the shock was worse. "That's Lord Myotismon to you." She didn't turn back to look at him. They stayed quiet for a thick moment. Then he place one hand on her chin and forced her to face him, still just a shadow in the darkness. "But that's all right," he said with a hint of amusement. "You'll learn eventually, just like your little friends will."  
  
The hold on her arms suddenly vanished and she attempted to move, but he seized both her wrists and forced her down again. It was his game, she realized. He liked to see her struggle. Her eyes closed tightly when he leaned down and kissed her. It wasn't gentle this time, and there was no love in it. He forced her lips open and drank from her. His fangs felt so cold in her mouth and he was kissing her so hard it hurt. It reminded her of Don, the sickness and disgust.  
  
But this time, there was also pain from deep inside. When Don had forced himself on her, she was angry, but now, she wanted to cry. It hurt more than her body as he continued to kiss her, scratch at the skin on her neck with his fangs, and grip her wrists painfully.  
  
"Say it," he whispered into her ear. "You know what I want to hear. Say it."  
  
"Go away," she croaked dryly.  
  
He pushed her down hard on the bed. "Say it."  
  
"I, I.." The words gurgled in her throat. "I love you."  
  
Then she was alone. He was not there, and as she moved her limbs slowly, nothing held her down. It had not been real, and though her heart pounded, she knew it was a dream.  
  
Something wet was sliding down the side of her chin. She groped for it with one hand and it came away sticky. Her lower lip was badly cut. Blood was rolling down in a thin river and falling onto the sheets.  
  
The window was open.  
  
~*~  
  
He had waited patiently but as the morning hours wore on, no sound came from her room. Finally, a little after ten o'clock, Tai rose from his seat on the couch and went to knock on his sister's door.  
  
"Kari? Kari, it's getting late."  
  
No reply came. He knocked a few more times, harder this time.  
  
"Kari, come on." He paused. "I know this is hard, but we have to do this. Stop playing around." Still no sound. Suddenly, a sense of dread came over him. "Kari! Are you all right?" Panicked, he seized the knob and twisted, expecting the door to be locked, but it wasn't. It opened a little too easily.  
  
The room stood empty. For a moment he thought he was imagining it, but it was true, she was not there. Frantically, he searched the room with his eyes, desperate to believe that she would appear. Too many possibilities ran through his thoughts when he spotted the small silhouette by the window, its tail gliding from side to side soundlessly.  
  
Gatomon didn't take turn to face him. She only stared out the window and spoke without emotion. "She went to him, Tai."  
  
"What?!" He shouted at her, not meaning to but had no way to control it. "What do you mean she went to him?"  
  
"I mean she went to find him," Gatomon replied monotonously. "I knew this would happen. He's been waiting for her."  
  
Tai was already heading out the door. "We'll call the others. Come on, we have to find her."  
  
"It's not that easy."  
  
He stopped.  
  
"He's going to take her away, and make sure no one finds her. Because he wants revenge. That's just the way he his. He doesn't make the same mistake twice."  
  
A lump formed in his throat. He didn't want the conversation to continue and it pained him to ask the next question. "Where will he take her?"  
  
"To the past."  
  
~*~  
  
She had no idea what to expect, so when the alley stood empty before her, Kari simply stopped and gazed at it, not knowing what to do next.  
  
He was supposed to be here, she thought faintly. He was supposed to be here and tell me I just had a dream and none of it was real.  
  
But he wasn't there, and she didn't know what that meant. Perhaps he was just roaming again. After all, he wouldn't expect her to visit this early in the morning. But then again, he always knew when she would visit, and he way always here. So.. What now?  
  
The weather was chilly. The gray sky towered over her like the shell of a giant gloomy turtle. Different thoughts entered and left her mind. One was that she had over interpreted everything, that nothing had happened.  
  
But what about the scar on her lip?  
  
Another thought was that he was gone, never to be seen again, by her or anyone else. Why that would happen, she didn't about, and yet it seemed so possible. After all, he appeared out of nowhere, he could disappear into nowhere again, couldn't he? The eerie image of the red bat-shaped mask drifted into her mind and she shuddered. Perhaps it would be for the better if he..  
  
"Good morning, Kari."  
  
His voice made her jump. A little too quickly, she turned around to face him. He stood at the end of the alley, still dressed in the cloth she had grown so used to. There was no sign of the dreaded blue uniform, the black cape, and no mask hid his sapphire blue eyes. What little light was out on this dark day was behind him, giving his face a shadowy appearance. For some reason, the way he seemed to solidify all of a sudden made her think he had been waiting for the right moment to cut off her only escape out of the narrow street.  
  
He smiled at her. It was as warm as ever..almost. "I wasn't expecting you."  
  
Something told her it was a lie, but she returned his smile anyway. "I, um, I just wanted to see you."  
  
"Really?" He said with cool amusement. Unhurried, he strolled to her side, leaned down, and kissed her on the forehead. Despite the gentleness of the gesture, she had to fight from pulling back.  
  
Her hesitance didn't escape him. "What's the matter?"  
  
She cleared her throat. "I want to ask you something."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I know you say you don't remember.." It was harder than she thought. "But.. Are you certain? I mean, if you tried, hard, can you remember anything from the past at all? Just a little?"  
  
For a moment he appeared at a lack for words. Then, without warning, he laughed. It was a deep, clear laugh, and it shook her ever so slightly as he moved behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders gently. "What are you saying, Kari," he said teasingly, "do you think I'm holding back something from you?"  
  
"No, I just.."  
  
"It's all right," he cut in. "I understand. You're just unsure, unsure of what's going on between us, isn't that right?"  
  
Not knowing how to answer, she nodded.  
  
His grip seemed to tighten a bit. "You think I would lie to you, Kari?"  
  
"No," she said quickly, suddenly tense. "Of course not."  
  
She felt him lower his body to the ground and kneel behind her. His strong arms came around slowly and pulled her back against him. He kissed her temple. His lips were very cold, sending a shudder down her spine.  
  
"It's not good to suspect people, Kari."  
  
Two words suddenly hit her mind like a gunshot. Too late.  
  
"I wouldn't lie to you."  
  
"I know," she croaked dryly.  
  
His cheek was pressed against hers and she felt him smile. "I wouldn't lie to you," he repeated, much quieter this time. "That's why I'm going to tell you this: dreams aren't real."  
  
"Dreams?"  
  
"That's right. You had a bad dream last night, didn't you?" She drew a sharp breath. Cold air burst into her lungs. "Dreams aren't real, Kari." A soft kiss on her neck. "That's why it wasn't a dream, eighth child."  
  
Every impulse in her wanted to run, run away and never look back, but he was holding her so tightly, so tight that she couldn't turn around to look at him, or breath. It was all right. She didn't want to look at him. She wanted to go to sleep.  
  
The sensation was strange. It was like he had disappeared for a moment, then materialized all over again, as someone else. The alley faded before here eyes and was replaced by a soft shade of violet. Every sound was miles away and her eyelids began to feel heavy. He was still holding her, but he felt so large, and her own body seemed to shrink all of a sudden.  
  
"I don't want my friends to get hurt," she heard herself say in a soft, childish voice. "Please don't hurt them. Please don't hurt Gatomon."  
  
He was still holding her, but she had ceased to feel his presence at all. The world flickered, then fizzed out before her eyes.  
  
~*~  
  
He felt her go limp in his arms and let her fall to the ground. She didn't move when her body hit the concrete. The physical world was gone from her, now, and soon, so will everything else. He was pleased. The game was going well, and it was as fun as he remembered.  
  
Still kneeling, he picker her up in his arms. She was so light, and she smelled so good.  
  
He shook himself mentally.  
  
"There's no turning back now," he said to himself. And why would he want to turn back? He was following his destiny at last. The throne of the digital world awaited him. There was no reason to turn back just because he loved  
  
No.  
  
Things have changed, there was no denying it, but destiny had to be fulfilled. Whatever happened in the past weeks had to be ignored, because he was still a prince of darkness, and she was still the guardian of light, a mere obstacle in his way.  
  
Still, there was a sense of regret in it.  
  
He dipped his head and kissed her gently on the lips before taking flight, and was a little disappointed when she didn't respond.  
  
The TV tower was just where he remembered it. 


	11. The Choice of You

Ch. 11

Before Tai stopped talking, T.K. had already stopped listening. Visions of Spiral Mountain and Server filled his mind and made his head spin. They were followed by images of Kari, weak and chest-deep in despair with no one to pull her out. It was too much. He fell heavily into a chair as the phone receiver dropped back into its cradle.

It was all happening again.

Three times. It simply seemed too many. For the love of the gods, he couldn't figure out why this horror had to keep going. An endless loop was what it was, and it was starting to seem like they would never break free, because he kept coming back. Myotismon kept coming back. He was immortal somehow, circling above all of them like a haunting spirit. 

Patamon was watching him but said nothing, perhaps because he saw how hard his friend was shaking and was apprehensive to find out the reason for himself. But there was courage in his eyes that said he not afraid, that he would be there no matter what was on the other end of that phone line. T.K. was grateful, but courage may not be enough this time, because, apparently, evil grows.

The first time he came, he took over Odeiba.

The second time he came, he nearly took over both worlds.

He didn't want to think about what could happen this time.

But he knew that it was no use sitting around. Kari was out there somewhere, and she was waiting for someone, waiting for him, and her time was running out. This was more her nightmare than anyone else's, and if they find her

No, WHEN they find her

They may have to fight to bring her back, and that was not something he wanted to do. There had been too much fighting in the past and too many have died, died because of him, the blue demon in the red mask.

But what choice did they have?

Looking at Patamon brought him back to the day Angemon faced off Devimon against the black sky. The world had nearly collapsed on all of them that day and it may happen again all too soon. This time, someone may not come out of it alive. He couldn't take it if he lost Patamon.

Just like he couldn't take it if he lost Kari.

He looked down at his partner. "Let's go, pal," he said, hoping he sounded stronger than he felt. "I'll fill you in on the way."

Despite the weakness in his legs, T.K. stood up and headed for the door, with Patamon close behind. He doubted that the digimon needed much explanation. Everything was all too clear.

~*~

Odieba still looked the same from high above. The skies were as gloomy as the day he had met her and the air just as chilly, filled with a sense of foreboding. The wind carried his cape behind him as he circled the TV tower. Memories came to him, tasting rather bittersweet. He loved it.

On the cold roof laid the eighth child, guardian of all that is shining and bright. A few minutes after the brought her here, she had opened her eyes and looked around a bit in faint recognition, but did not look at him. Every time her gaze shifted his way, it seemed to go right through him into a hopeless beyond. It bothered him in a way that he would never admit.

He did not bother to restrain her in anyway, just set her down on a flat surface that seemed fairly clean. If she felt the cold, she gave no sign. She was not going to run away. Somehow, he knew that for a fact. For a long time now, she laid there on her back quietly, head turned to one side away from him, lips slightly parted and one arm draped across her chest. It was a despairing sight.

He landed on the roof after making sure that no one was within range of the station and walking to her. She took no notice when he knelt by her and stroke her hair, but still faced away from him.

"This doesn't have to be difficult," he said gently. "Your friends don't have to suffer, and neither do you, as long as you cooperate."

She gave no indication that she heard. It irritated him slightly.

"You may not even die," he continued. "Once this is all over, and the digital world has its rightful ruler at throne, you just may have your seat next to it."

A sigh came from her and nothing more, as if she knew it was a lie. But was it? He wasn't even certain himself.

"You don't think I'd lie to you, do you, Kari?"

This time she did respond, but it only succeeded in pushing him closer to the limit of his patience. Slowly, as if following a dance routine, she turned her body away from him and drew her knees up into a fetal position and buried her face in her arms. Her movement was similar to that of a small animal drawing its last breath. It was a blatant show of rejection and defiance, at least to his eyes as he stood in abrupt anger.

"Fine!" he growled down at her dangerously. "Suit yourself. But you'll regret this. Destiny is at hand and the side you choose will be your own undoing."

No answer again.

With a swift movement, he turned and stormed away from her, seething. But no matter, it was getting late, and nearer to the time to bring the digidestined to their ultimate and final defeat. Then, after it was all done, he would have the little angel to his leisure, perhaps for dessert.

Standing on the edge of the roof, he closed his eyes and reached out. Somewhere in Odeiba, there was a single spirit still connected to his, small but strong, and waiting to come to him. Channeling his energy, he called out to his old servant.

Storm clouds were gathering.

~*~

Gatomon's ears perked up as she stopped in her tracks. There was no sound in the air save for the wind, but his voice was unmistakable. Tai and Agumon came to a halt behind her and regarded her curiously. Tai said something but she didn't hear. Concentrating hard, she strained to find the voice again.

Come to me, my pet….

A shiver ran down her spine all the way to the tip of her tail as she turned to her friends.

"Get the others, Tai," she said sternly. "Tell them to come to the TV tower. Fast!"

Before Tai and Agumon could get a question out, she turned and ran past then down the street. She knew where Kari was now, but that was not a comforting thought, because she had thought that they would have to look first, to find her, and bring her back.

The fact that HE was calling to her to come was not a good sign.

~*~

She emerged on top of the tower alone. It all felt too familiar—the chill, the darkening sky, the unwavering sense of doom. Nothing had changed, except there was no one around this time. The building was empty. Perhaps he had arranged it, she didn't know. What she DID know what that this was her friend's burial ground. Wizardmon had disintegrated into data on this very spot. Tears had been shed, hearts broken, and too many lives changed. Gatomon shook her head sadly. Carefully, a bit too cautious, she began to survey the area.

It was not her desire to be here. Just the feeling of it hurt too much. Each step felt could be her last but she took them anyway. Kari was waiting.

Come, pet….

Her teeth bared in a snarl, but he was not around. Yet. She circled around the glass dome to the other side, the exact place where Wizardmon had died, and peered out nervously.

At first she saw nothing, then the slender form on the ground caught her eye. It was Kari all right, but it also wasn't. The young girl was curled up on the ground, unmoving, her eyes totally empty and lost to the world. The sweet sincerity that once made her so special was not there, as was the color on her face. There was a faint glow radiating from her skin, as if she was a fallen star dying on earth. She was a shell.

"Kari?" Gatomon called softly, hoping for a response but not expecting one, and received none. "Kari? Are you all right?"

Kari didn't move at all. She laid there like a stone carving.

"Kari!" Breaking into a run, Gatomon dashed toward her friend. All the common sense inside told her to stay back, but she ignored them, ignored them until a pair of shiny black boots interceded between her and her destination. She screeched to a stop but did not look up. A soft, sinister chuckled filled her ears as she kept her eyes to the ground, but it was nothing compared to the voice that followed.

"It's good to see you, my pet."

"Shut up," she hissed.

"My, my," her old master purred, "so feisty. You haven't changed a bit, Gatomon."

She took a keep breath and raised her head up a bit. He was standing there, inches from her, dressed in the same blue uniform and black cape. The red mask still covered the upper portion of his face, showing only the chilling blue of his eyes. Yes, he was still the same, as cruelly handsome as she remembered in her nightmares.

"Neither have you." She paused, hesitant to admit this reality to herself. "Myotismon."

His eyes hardened a bit and before she could react she found herself several feet off the ground, held by a choke hold around her neck. Suddenly angry and desperate, she lashed out at him, but he only smiled and held her at a safe distance easily.

"Have you forgotten how to address me properly already, my pet?" Her glare didn't phase him a bit. "Very well then. It's alright," he said in mocking kindness, "you will remember soon."

She wanted the wipe the smug look off his face, along with a layer of skin. "What did you do to Kari?"

"Kari?" He turned to look at the small body on the ground, and for a moment she thought she saw a flicker of change in his eye, but it quickly disappeared. "What makes you think I did something to her?"

"Because you're you," Gatomon replied crossly.

"Is that the best you can do?" he asked, amused, "you tongue used to be so delightfully sharp, Gatomon. I'm disappointed."

"Bite me."

"That's quite and offer you're making."

She struggled a bit more but to no avail and hung limp in defeat. "Take me," she said, "let Kari go, take me."

His smile split a bit wider. "Maybe Kari wants to stay. Maybe Kari likes me more than you think."

"Ha!" Gatomon laughed dryly. "I think your brain didn't reload properly. If there is one person who hates you in this world, it's Kari."

The flicker in his eyes again and this time she was sure she didn't imagine it. Somehow, someway, she had struck a chord.

"You're going to lose," she spat angrily, "Kari's beaten you before, and she will beat you again, bat breath."

He yanked her close to him and bared his fangs. For a terrifying moment she thought she had finally pushed him over the edge, just far enough for him to drain her dry on the spot. But instead, he pressed his free hand over her face and after a few seconds she stopped moving and fell to his sleeping spell. 

That look in his eyes followed her into sleep. If he were anyone else, she would have sworn her words had hurt him.

~*~

The sense of doom fell over them like a heavy cloak as the digidestined set foot on the roof of the TV station. Even though they had not been present at the very first confrontation, Cody, Yolie, and Davis shivered almost simultaneously. Myotismon's presence had made its mark on them and it was not pleasant. T.K. was the first to snap out of the chance and step forward.

"Kari!" He called, cupping his hands over his mouth. The echo brought about by his voice was saddening. "Gatomon!"

"We have to split up," Davis said, already running in one direction with Veemon at his heel. "Split up and look for her, hurry!"

The group began to separate, but Cody was the first to notice that Tai wasn't moving. He gestured for the others to stop. The older boy stood there, facing the gray day, his head slightly drooped. The spirit that once lit his eyes brightly had dimmed.

"Tai?"

"I let her down," he said, barely audible. "I was supposed to protect her, but I let her down."

Thunder rumbled in the distance as no one thought of a reply. A minute passed before a gloved fist struck Tai's shoulder, hard. He turned to see Davis's impatient face glaring up at him.

"Are you done moping yet?" the boy demanded. "If you want to help Kari, get going already! Keep standing here and that creepy vampire's gonna use her for a pin cushion!"

Despite the despair that seemed to flood his mind, Tai smiled. "You're right, Davis," he replied. "Let's go look for her."

"We may not have to." All the heads turned toward the voice. Yolie was standing in the center of the platform, one arms raised, pointing to the other side. "Look!"

The small white form that caught her attention was without a doubt Gatomon. They all knew that even before they reached her. She was lying on the ground, not moving. There did not appear to be any wounds on her but her limps were so still that for a moment they were afraid that the unthinkable had happened, that Myotismon had finally gotten to her. Everyone sighed in relief when they saw her chest rise and lower ever so faintly.

Patamon reached out gingerly and shook his friend. But she didn't respond, or gave indication that she felt his touch at all. Her paw moved to the side slightly, revealing the shiny ring underneath. No one made a move to touch it.

"Hey, isn't that her tail ring?" Cody exclaimed.

"Sure is," T.K. said, studying it. "What's it doing there?"

Veemon reached for it, only to be stopped by Hawkmon. "Don't," the bird digimon warned, "it may be a trap."

The first drops of rain fell onto the ground and on the children's backs. They didn't seem to notice. What attracted their attention was the beeping of Davis's D-terminal. All eyes were on his as he opened it and read the new message.

"It's from Izzy and Matt," he said, a pensive look on his face that almost made him seem mature. "They found something."

"Well?! What is it?" Yolie cried, reaching for the device.

"Hold on a second," Davis said, pulling away and kept reading. A few seconds passed before he closed it again and turned his attention to the tail ring. "Guys," he said aloud, "he's waiting for us."

~*~

He wanted it to be this way.

Why? He didn't know. Seemed like he knew less and less these days, except for the presence of the gorgeous creature before him. Even as she laid lifelessly before him, her beauty seemed to mask out all else. Her eyes were open, blinking every now and then but gave no acknowledgement to him.

This strange dimension was all to familiar to him--the insane-looking painting of a world where dreams come true. Except it didn't seem to work that way anymore. It had changed since he's been here last. Perhaps their last confrontation had drained it of its power. Now it was merely a shell, a deserted battle arena, sad and lonely.

And yet, somehow, he didn't want to leave. The entirety of the beautiful digital world and the wondrous real world couldn't compare with this abandoned house of lost hopes. It was peaceful, without noise and trouble, at least for the moment.

In a few minutes that would all change. The digidestined would arrive soon and he would finally face them for the last time. Then, when it's all over, a new order will begin.

But for the time been, just these precious few minutes, he wanted the quiet to stay, to envelope him and the only one the wanted in all the worlds. Just been with her in solitude was fine. He wanted to be at ease, wanted peace, wanted her.

She didn't resist as he sat on the ground beside her and laid her head on his lap. Running his fingers along her face, he felt more soothed than he had ever been in those days of conquest and war. His senses, normally attuned to the slightest stimulus, now cooled and went into a trance along with his mind.

Why do I have to do this? He asked himself for the thousandth time. Why can't I just stay here and be with her? She does love me, after all.

And that was a first. He had never been loved before, not by anyone, not for any reason. Even as a baby, an in-training form, a rookie, he had never found that word to be of any meaning. All his life, he was either feared or loathed and saw nothing wrong with either. Been loved was a first for him, and as for loving another himself....

He looked down at Kari. She was looking up, but her eyes seemed to go right through him. Even in this catatonic state, her body was full of warmth and light seemed to shine from within. It was true, he knew now. There was no running, no hiding from the truth. He leaned over and kissed her cheek gently. The decision was made at last.

"I love you," he told her, and it felt right. The words glided across his tongue like a sweet wine. "Nothing is worth losing...."

The blinding light shot through space and he leaped to his feel instinctively, leaving his love on the ground. Shielding both himself and Kari with his cape, he was barely able to make out the figures that stepped through the portal but he already knew who they were. 

"Better remember this place, Myotismon," said the child of Courage, "because this battle is going to be your last."

~*~

The tail ring was digging into his tightly clutched fist, but the anger in him would not let him loosen his fingers. As the light radiating from the small trinket finally dispersed, Tai found himself in an unfamiliar place, face to face with an old nightmare. The younger digidestined seemed to shudder as they entered this strange place. To him it looked like a Picasso painting worn down with age, but that was the least of his concerns at the moment.

The man, if he could be called that, was standing in the middle of the eerily peaceful world. He still looked the same; black cape wrapped protectively over his body and icy blue eyes peeking out at them through the blood-red mask. A moment passed as the rest of the group stepped out of the portal, Yolie with Gatomon in her arms, still unconscious. Myotismon smiled ever so slightly.

"I see you came for a fight," he said evenly, "can't say I blame you. I had the same thing in mind."

Something about the statement made Tai pause. Davis stepped forward before he could formulate a response.

"All right, what have you done with Kari?!" the boy shouted.

Myotismon shifted his gaze to him, the smile still lingering faintly. "Why Davis," he said with amusement, "it's been a while. I'm surprised you still remember me in this form."

The other was less entertained. "Enough talk, hand over Kari so we can kick your butt!" As if on cue, Veemon leaped forward and posed for battle. It was actually rather comical. The other digidestined moved forward, anticipating the action that was sure to follow.

But their target made no retaliation. "What makes you think I'm going to fight you?"

Davis blinked. "What?"

"Maybe there won't be a battle here today," Myotismon went on. "A lot of time has passed since our last encounter."

Davis, obviously skeptical, opened his mouth, but Tai shushed him and moved a bit closer. "What do you mean?"

"Believe me," the other replied, "I do not enjoy your company any more than you enjoy mine. There is no need for me to explain anything to you because you have no reason to believe me." He stepped aside, revealing the small figure on the ground. A gasp ran through the group of children.

Tai's eyes narrowed dangerously. "What did you do?" he asked, almost dangerously. "What did you do to Kari? What did you do to Gatomon?"

Myotismon snickered. "Full of questions, aren't you? Gatomon will be fine. The hypnosis will wear off in a day or two. As for Kari...." he looked down for a second and Tai thought he spotted something that vanished just as soon as it appeared in Myotismon's eyes. "She's not wounded. Would you like to check for yourself?"

None of the group made a move to do so.

"No?" He stepped back a few feet. "Better?"

"What are you trying to pull?" Cody demanded. Despite his small stature and soft voice, he sounded quite loud in the bleak silence.

"Pull?" Myotismon pretended to be offended. "If I wanted something done to you, I would not be wasting my breath like this." He moved away from Kari a little more. "Now then, would you like to come make sure she's unharmed, or would you like for me to bring her to you?"

The digidestined exchanged puzzled glances. At last, Tai motioned for the others to wait as he made his way toward the spot where Kari was lying, keeping his eyes on Myotismon all the while.

"Be careful," he heard T.K. whisper to him.

~*~

He watched the boy take his time getting close and wondered what he should do next. It was the truth that he had no fondness for the kid, or any of the rest of the digidestined save for, of course, Kari, but there was no desire in him to fight them. Trying hard to keep his overwhelming battles with himself from showing, he turned his gaze away from the children, hoping they couldn't tell how hard his heart was pounding.

Tai finally reached them. Kneeling down, he cradled his sister's head gently and called her name. She didn't respond. Even Myotismon himself wasn't sure why she had retreated so deeply inside of herself, but there was little he could do about it.

"Why is she like this?" he heard the boy ask.

"I don't know," he replied honestly, and it was the truth.

"What do you mean you don't know? You brought her here!"

"I didn't do anything to her," he said softly, "whatever state she's in now, she imposed it on herself."

"You're a liar," Tai spat, holding Kari tightly.

He could think of no other response. "I didn't harm her."

"I don't know what you're up to," the digidestined said in a low voice, "but I'm going to take her back now. Don't try to stop me."

As Tai lifted Kari in his arms and stood, Myotismon had never felt more vulnerable in his life. It was not a good feeling, one that scratched at his heart with a thin claw. He felt his mouth open slightly, to tell the boy to stop, to tell him not to take her away from him, but nothing came out.

The burning began the very second Tai turned him back to him. The scar on his neck, something he had not thought about for a while, suddenly began to pulsate. It gave off a hollow beat, like a second heart on his body. Tai stopped and turned around, obviously hearing it, too. Desperately, he clawed at it with his hands, but it did no good. An unbearable heat seeped into his veins and began to overtake his body. He may have screamed, he didn't know. His ears felt as if they were about to burst with fire and blood.

Darkness overcame him, but he finally understood two things: one been how much he truly loved Kari, and two been why there had been so much conflict within him.

He wasn't fighting with himself. He was fighting with someone else, someone who wanted both him and the guardian of light dead and rotting in pieces together.


	12. For Your Love

Ch. 12

Kari was listening.

There was light where she was, a lot of it, warm and comforting. Many voices were speaking, and although none of them was speaking to her, she could hear them clear as day. All of her senses were silences save for one little something in her heart that picked up the feelings of others and made them her own.

She wasn't drawn within herself. In fact, it was quite the opposite. She was in tune with everything else around her like never before. Light was guiding her, showing her a side of life that she hadn't been able to sense earlier. Her body was floating. She was free.

She heard Ken first of all. He was the easiest to reach, been in the same state as she. As she wondered about this strange inner space, he spoke to her, telling her to search for herself, for something within everyone else, and free them. Time was running short, he warned, the one you trust may turn against you, though it may not be his intention.

There's more, Kari, there's more....

But no matter how hard she tried to hold on to him, he faded away, still calling out, telling her to search deeper. Then his voice was overlapped by another, the one of her friend. Gatomon was speaking to herself, wondering what to do, hesitating whether to come. Come where? Kari didn't know. Suddenly, Gatomon's feelings of anxiety turned to alarm.

No, not you....

There was fear, then anger, followed by yet another voice. She concentrated on Gatomon, but then she also faded into the background.

I'm sorry, Gatomon, but I can't come out now, not yet.... I have to keep looking.

The third voice was that of her love, deep and smooth. But it was hard to make out his words and feelings. There were so many of them, all running into each other like debris in a tornado. It bothered her to see him so torn, though she couldn't figure out why. More than one voice spoke to her from him, talking over each other.

It's peaceful

She has to die

So beautiful

I love you

Guardian of light, the ultimate enemy

Talk to me, please

Kill her, kill her now, make her suffer

I love you

She was blind, mute, and drifting in what felt like cool watery space. There's nothing but light and his voices around her. Yes, voices, and they were all his, though a few sounded odd. Carefully, she reached for him, probing the deepest part of his heart with her own. But something kept her out, creating a barrier around him. Every time she reached out, a freezing chill made her withdraw.

She listened to the voices argue with themselves. Bit by bit, they began to sound different. Her love's voice grew stronger as it overpowered the other. A bit of time passed when the argument quieted and there was peace all around her. Trying all her might, she focused on him only.

I love you, she heard him thinking. I don't know when it started, but I've loved you even before this life. I don't want to lose you.

She felt his hand on her, so strong and sturdy. She listened to him making silent vows to himself to always protect her, that there's nothing else in the world worthy of coming between them.

Not the digital world, not the real world, not the digidestined.

Someone else cut in. Tai. He was worried about her, and suspicious of her love. He was close, very close, and the rest of her friends were there, too. It was still very peaceful, despite the many feelings drifting about her. Everything felt okay.

It's going to be okay, Tai.

He didn't hear, of course, but that was okay, too. It's going to be fine.... It's going to be fine....

I'm taking you home, little sister.

No, don't take her from me.

Kari felt the light around her tremble like a shockwave. She struggled to reach out, to feel her body again. Someone's arms was around her, carrying her off the ground. Tai.

I don't want to go, Tai. Please let me stay. It's alright.

Her senses were coming back. She felt him solidify around her, his chest supporting her head. Trying hard, she brought herself a little close to the physical world. It felt cold, and getting colder by the moment. The air was vibrating, shaking her whole body. Tai's, too. No one was moving. 

Her heart was beating, but that was not what she heard now. The thumping was getting louder and louder and drowning out everything else. All the voices ceased to speak as she felt their attention turn to her love. As she tried once again to reach out to him, she felt pain, and a deadly struggle. 

Then she was seeing. Not with her own eyes, but someone else's. She saw herself lying in Tai's arms, his head turned nearly all the way around to look at the vampire lord behind him, who seemed oblivious at the moment, totally wrapped up in something else. 

A sparkly line caught the corner of her eye. She peeked to the side and saw the rim of a pair of large, round glasses. Yolie. She was looking through Yolie's eyes, as well as feeling the panic racing through Yolie's mind. Time was ticking by, the seconds marked by the giant, invisible beating heart.

More voices were talking, clamoring all at once.

Kill her

Kill her

Kill her

Kill them all

~*~

The corps of darkness was shaking with excitement. Daemon raised his eyes to the black sky one last time before making the final push forward. All the pieces were in place. The time has come.

KILL THEM!!

~*~

She drew in a sharp gasp of air as the mental shout shocked her out of her peaceful state. Tai was so surprised that he almost dropped her. The thumping did not cease. In fact, it got louder as the digidestined gazed without a sound at Myotismon. Energy burst forth with the strength of a nuclear explosion, accompanied by a foul purple mist that filled the empty space that is the new battle arena.

Kari lifted her head slowly to see past her brother's shoulder. He was no longer holding her up, or even himself, for that matter. He had fallen to his knees, a glassy look in his eyes. It was at that moment she realized how unprotected they were in this world of lost dreams. The shock had gotten him.

Behind Tai, the mist was just starting to clear, revealing the caped figure that stood with its head down. Its entire body was vibrating, sending off visible waves in the tendrils of violet. Moving Tai away carefully, Kari began to climb to her feet.

No, please….

He wasn't moving, just standing there, and she couldn't see his face. Blood was pounding in her ears, drowning out her own footsteps. She approached him, a little bit at a time.

"Myo-san?"

It may have been her imagination, but he seemed to look up a little bit.

"Are you alright?"

[Run.]

She started. The voice had come from within, but it was no her own. Her feet came to a stop by themselves. Time was surreal.

[Run.]

Another moment passed before she realized that her friends had not joined her. Somehow she didn't need to turn around to know that they were frozen, paralyzed in their spot. The mist had gotten them, making easy targets out of their bodies and leaving her alone to face whatever came next.

[RUN NOW!!]

The voice shouted into her head the same moment Myotismon raised his eyes to the sky as darkness burst from his body. The fraction of a second before she covered her eyes instinctively, Kari saw the scar on his neck, glowing like a falling star.

Even as she screamed into the desolate space, she saw through the slits of her fingers the body of her love swell and transform into the grotesque shape of VenomMyotismon.

~*~

Gatomon opened her eyes.

Although her body was suspended by an invisible force, she could still see and hear the world around her, as much of a world as it will ever be. Her senses had been temporarily sharpened, and there were voices speaking.

That's right…. I am also a part of the guardian.

She closed her eyes again. It was clear that there was nothing she could do, but that was fine. This time, she will trust in Kari to win her own battle.

I understand now, Kari. I understand.

~*~

The hulking beast stared down at her, its eyes threatening to bore a hole right through her. She tried to stand her ground but her knees were shaking like crazy. This was all too familiar, too much. Not again.

One huge claw raised and came down. She dodged and turned just in time to see the ground smashed to pieces under its mighty force. A hideous laugh boomed from the giant mouth lined with fangs.

"Myo-san, no!" It came out much softly than she had hoped, practically inaudible over the sound of falling debris.

Another hit, this time much harder. Dust flew up all around her and something sharp cut her cheek. A few more, each missing her by inches. Though he had not moved at her, she ran circles around him, trying her best to avoid each hit, tripping and stumbling along the way. But none of the hits were aimed at her, not a single one. No, he was toying with her, waiting to see how long it would take before her legs finally failed.

She wasn't sure how long the game of cat and mouse went on. The nonstop crashing and bursts of explosion shook her and head to toe. For the first time in so long, she felt truly helpless.

He toyed with her, the way he had that night in her room, the way he had so many years ago, and the way Danny had in that alley. When she fell once again, having lost count how many, she found tears as well as blood trailing down her face.

I've finally lost.

~*~

Daemon felt his whole body shake with excitement. Trying hard to steady himself, he raised one hand and drew a line in space. His corps awaited expectantly.

The portal opened.

Triumphant at last, he turned to his soldiers and made the final declaration.

"The Guardian of Light has fallen!"

~*~

He was hovering over her now, the way a cat would a dying play that no longer amused it. It was time for the kill. She wanted to run, to get away, but the odd angle of her ankle and the bolt of pain that racked her body every time she tried to move it told her it was impossible. Frantic, she wondered if death would be swift.

But death didn't scare her. However odd it was, as she half-laid on the ground, dirt and blood smeared all over her clothing, the idea of dying didn't frighten her on bit. There were other things on her mind, even at this moment.

It hurt more to know that she had had this one chance and lost it.

One chance to change him.

One chance to show him the world.

One chance to love.

I'm in trouble now, but love had not left. In trouble and in love, sometimes it's such a fine line.

She looked up at him, at those cruel eyes, so different from the pair of blue ones that shun in the moonlight. And yet, in her mind, she saw the beautiful blue pools.

"Myo-san, please don't do this," she croaked softly. 

Another voice answered her this time.

"Oh, but he must."

She did not notice the spreading darkness behind the giant digimon until now. A black hold tore open the thin air. A stocky, hooded form stepped out and looked around.

"Not my ideal place for a grand entrance, but I suppose it will do." Glowing eyes fixated on her. "Don't you think so, child guardian?"

Something pointed her mind in the right direction and the word came out with anger before she could realize it. "Daemon."

The other sneered under the hood. "Kari, is it? It's been long. Such a pity to have to crush such a beautiful child, but what must be done must be done."

Another jolt of pain came from her ankle. "You're using him."

"Beauty AND brains. I applaud you." Daemon took a step closer to VenomMyotismon, who had stopped moving as if on cue. "You see, you kids have been in my way for a long time. First that boy emperor who opened the gate to the Dark Ocean and sealed me in. But that was not the worst of it. It seemed that I had enough power to break out easily."

She had no response to him. Her mind was working quickly, taking it all it.

"You," Daemon continued with a cruel sense of satisfaction. "Now you are special. It wasn't an accident that you were the closest to the boy when the gate was opened and that you were the first to help him. After the gate was closed, you were designated as the guardian of the gate, the light that seals the darkness away. Quite a job for such a small child, but you seem to have handled it pretty well." He paused. "Tell me, Kari, do you still glow in the dark?"

The mist suddenly thickened and she found herself showered in the unnatural night. A dim light was been emitted from her skin. She was a lone firefly.

"It's fading, good," Daemon commented as the mist dispersed. "Once it's completely gone, my soldiers will join me"--he gestures at the surrounding-- "right here. From here, we will access both worlds, and restore darkness, the way it's meant to be. And then," thick maliciousness seeped into his voice, "they will have your lover boy for a chew toy."

She opened her mouth but he cut her off. "Of course, it's not easy to put out a light such as yours, which is why I sent Myotismon here to you. His data was floating about last your last battle, power with no direction. I must say that I am impressed by his power, but physical and mental. The latter I am not too crazy about. This bond between you two was an unfortunate obstacle, but it did help weaken your resistance against him. Now, how do you put out a light, you ask?" 

VenomMyotismon raised one claw in anticipation. 

"By killing the candle maker."

The claw came down, aimed directly at her. Daemon's face split in a wide grin, savoring his well-deserved victory. Kari could see him, she could see everything though she had closed her eyes. The realm of lost dreams lit up.

Light expanded like a balloon all around her. Her body felt warm. Nothing hurt anymore.

The guardian must protect the light from the dark.

The child goddess is the key and the lock.

Open the case that holds purity. Close the gate forever on all that is black to the soul.

I can do it.

Daemon let out a pained, inhuman shriek as the light struck his entire body, sending him careening into the dark portal.

The giant claw of VenomMyotismon changed direction in midair and plunged deep into his own skin, digging a deep trench at the base of its neck. Two black spores fell out in the river of blood and vanished before they even hit the ground.

~*~

Both the digital world and the real world cleansed itself with rain.

~*~

Guarding the portal anxiously, Ladydevimon, Marinedevimon, and Skullsatamon were quite surprised to see their leader come tumbling out of the blackness, followed by a ray of light that stun their skin.

Daemon would lay for many month after that, unable to speak or move. His corps would care for him loyally, remembering all this time, another humiliating defeat.

~*~

The digidestined escaped their paralysis just in time to see the ragged figure of Myotismon pull himself to his feet.

The walls of the arena had been crushed. One side led to the digital world, one side to the real world. Raindrops from both worlds mingled and for a moment it seemed as if the entire universe, known and unknown, was but one big storm.

Kari climbed to her feet shakily. A pair of sapphire blue eyes looked into hers then disappeared into the forests of Server. Her ankle was hurting again as she limped toward the digital world.

Tai started after her but found his leg caught on something. He looked down to see Gatomon holding him back by the pant leg.

"It's okay," she said softly. "Let her go."

"But…."

"Trust me." She gazed toward Kari's disappearing silhouette. "Trust her."

~*~

She wondered through the forests of Server. Rain drops the size of ping pong balls pounded her body, drenching every inch. Sometimes the ground was so muddy that she had to literally drag herself through it. Her ankle was screaming with pain, and when it got bad, she crawled. There was very little going through her mind as she concentrated on her search. Time was irrelevant.

She found him sitting under a tall pine, head down, knees drawn up with his arms resting on top. The top portion of his uniform was too torn to do any good. He had discarded them aside, exposing his bare torso to the rain. His blond hair was pasted to his forehead as he looked up at her. A long time passed as neither of them said anything. She stood there before him, looking for words and finding none. The sound of rain drowned out the rest of the world.

At last, he smiled weakly. "You won, Kari," he said tiredly but with joy in his voice. "Thank you."

There was nothing left to say, so she did what naturally came next. She went to him, buried her head in his bare chest, and let her tears run with the rainwater and his blood. He wrapped his arms around her tightly. There was no more reasons to let go.

Time passed them by cautiously.

When the rain stopped they were still together, holding each other as the sunlight washed over them. Her eyes had dried as she raised them slightly to meet his. There was nothing left to say, nothing left to do, and no way to prepare for the future.

He kissed her and she didn't pull back.

There was no reason to.

~*~

The digidestined made their way home with many questions lingering on their minds, but no one made a move to ask. After all, Gatomon explained that everything is all right now.

"She'll tell you when the time is right," she had said, "Don't worry. Kari will tell you."

~*~

Many miles away, the boy emperor opened his eyes. At first he wasn't sure where he was, then it all came back and he smiled gently.

When his mother followed the doctor into the room, her tears froze when she saw him sitting upright, the waning evening light shining on his face. He waved at her slowly. 

"We won, mom," he whispered as she held him tightly. "We won."

~*~

When the clear night drew near, they laid on the grassy field of Server, entwined in each other. He held her close to him, the one that was once his enemy, now a friend and more.

"What happens now?" she asked him.

"Now I try to stay here." Her back was to him as he stroke her hair.

"Where else do you have to go?"

He already knew how she would respond to what he had to say next. "I can't live as I am. The spores kept me alive. Without them I am weak. I may not even be able to keep myself from disintegrating for more than a month." She started and tried to face him but he held her tight. "Don't turn around, please," he pleaded as she stopped moving. "It's hard enough to tell you this now."

"So what will you do?" There was a quiver in her voice that tugged at his heartstring.

"I will travel, try to find the guardians of the digital world, perhaps start with Azulogmon and Geni. It's my only chance."

"Do you think they'll help?"

"I will beg for their forgiveness on my knees if I have to," he told her, knowing that it was the truth, "I won't like it, but I'll do it. I'll ask for their help, and return to you. I promise."

She slid her fingers through his. "Tell them Kari sent you."

They slept under the stars of the digital world that night. When she woke to see the light of dawn, he had already left. Carrying hopes and prayers in her heart, the guardian of light walked down to the beach and watched the sunrise through her shining tears.

THE END


End file.
